TRUXTON  KING 


Copyrifht,  li^ri,  by  Dodd,  M«»<1  A  Comply 


don't   you    know    any   BKTTKR    THAN'    TO    COME   IN  HERE  ?  '    DE- 
MANDED   THE   I'lUNCE  "  (p^  ^ 


TRUXTON  KING 


BY 

GEORGE  BARR  McCUTCHEOX 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 
CHARLES  SCRIBXER'S  SONS 

1916 


COPYRIGHT.  1909 
BY  GEORGE  BARR  McCUTCHEOM 

COPYRIGHT,  1909 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY 

Published,  September,  190» 


Printed   in    U.    S.    A. 


^S5 

T^\53 

CONTENTS 

-t^u."-- 

CHAPTER 

?AGE 

I 

Truxton  King 

1 

II 

A  Meeting  of  the  Cabinet 

23 

III 

Many  Persons  in  Review 

40 

IV 

Truxton  Trespasses 

59 

V 

The  Committee  of  Ten 

80 

VI 

Ingomede  the  Beautiful 

94 

VII 

At  the  Witch's  Hut 

114 

VIII 

Looking  for  an  Eye 

130 

IX 

Strange  Disappearances 

147 

X 

The  Iron  Count 

161 

XI 

Under  the  Ground 

177 

XII 

A  New  Prisoner  Arrives 

190 

XIII 

A  Divinity  Shapes 

205 

XIV 

On  the  River 

219 

XV 

The  Gire  in  the  Red  Cloak 

231 

XVI 

The  Merry  Vagabond 

245 

XVII 

The  Throwing  of  the  Bomb 

263 

XVIII 

Truxton  on  Parade 

278 

XIX 

Truxton  Exacts  a  Promise 

295 

XX 

By  the  Water-gate 

312 

XXI 

The  Return 

329 

XXII 

The  Last  Stand 

345 

XXIII 

"You  Will  Be  Mrs.  King'^ 

357 

P2"70281 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  'Don't  you  know  an}'  better  than 
to  come  in  here?'  demanded  the 
Prince"  (page  67)  Frontispiece 

"  'You  are  the  only  man  to  whom  I 
feel  sure  that  I  can  reveal  my- 
self and  be  quite  understood'  "    Facing  page  104^ 

"  'Bobby !    Don't    be    foolish.     How 

could  I  be  in  love  with /limr"  "  "      158 

"  'His  Majesty  appears  to  have — 
ahem— gone  to  sleep,'  remarked 
the  Grand  Duke  tartly"  "  "      ^66 


TRUXTON    KING 
A    STORY    OF    GRAUSTARK 

CHAPTER  I 

TRUXTON    KING 

He  was  a  tall,  rawboned,  rangy  young  fellow  with  a 
face  so  tanned  by  wind  and  sun  you  had  the  impression 
that  his  skin  would  feel  like  leather  if  you  could  affect 
the  impertinence  to  test  it  by  the  sense  of  touch.  Not 
that  you  would  like  to  encourage  this  bit  of  impudence 
after  a  look  into  his  devil-may-care  eyes ;  but  you  might 
easily  imagine  something  much  stronger  than  brown 
wrapping  paper  and  not  quite  so  passive  as  burnt  clay. 
His  clothes  fit  him  loosely  and  yet  were  graciously  de- 
void of  the  bagginess  which  characterises  the  appear- 
ance of  extremely  young  men  whose  frames  are  not  fully 
set  and  whose  joints  are  still  parading  through  the  last 
stages  of  college  development.  This  fellow,  you  could 
tell  by  looking  at  him.,  had  been  out  of  college  from  two 
to  five  years ;  you  could  also  tell,  beyond  doubt  or  con- 
tradiction, that  he  had  been  in  college  for  his  full  allotted 
time  and  had  not  escaped  the  usual  number  of  "condi- 
tions" that  dismay  but  do  not  discourage  the  happy-go- 
lucky  undergraduate  who  makes  two  or  three  teams  with 
comparative  ease,  but  who  has  a  great  deal  of  difficulty 
with  physics  or  whatever  else  he  actually  is  supposed  to 
acquire  between  the  close  of  the  football  season  and  the 
opening  of  baseball  practice. 

This  tall  young  man  in  the  panama  hat  and  grey  flan- 
nels was  Truxton  King,  embryo  globe-trotter  and 
searcher  after  the  treasures  of  Romance.      Somewhere 


»  TRUXTOX  KING 

up  near  Central  Park,  in  one  of  the  fashionable  cross 
streets,  was  the  home  of  his  father  and  his  fathers  father 
before  him :  a  home  which  Truxton  had  not  seen  in  two 
years  or  more.  It  is  worthy  of  passing  notice,  and  that 
is  all,  that  his  father  was  a  manufacturer;  more  than 
that,  he  was  something  of  a  power  in  the  financial  world. 
His  mother  was  not  strictly  a  social  queen  in  the  great 
metropolis,  but  she  was  what  we  might  safely  call  one 
of  the  first  "ladies  in  waiting."  Which  is  quite  good 
enough  for  the  wife  of  a  manufacturer;  especially  when 
one  records  that  her  husband  was  a  manufacturer  of 
steel.  It  is  also  a  matter  of  no  little  consequence  that 
Truxton's  mother  was  more  or  less  averse  to  the  steel 
business  as  a  heritage  for  her  son.  Be  it  understood, 
here  and  now,  that  she  intended  Truxton  for  the  diplo- 
matic service:  as  far  removed  from  sordid  steel  as  the 
New  York  post  office  is  from  the  Court  of  St.  James. 

But  neither  Truxton's  father,  who  wanted  him  to  be  a 
manufacturing  CrcEsus,  or  Truxton's  mother,  who  ex- 
pected him  to  become  a  social  Solomon,  appears  to  have 
taken  the  young  man's  private  inclinations  into  consid- 
eration. Truxton  preferred  a  life  of  adventure  dis- 
tinctly separated  from  steel  and  velvet ;  nor  was  he  slow 
to  set  his  esteemed  parents  straight  in  this  respect.  He 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  travel,  to  see  the  world,  to  be  a 
part  of  the  big  round  globe  on  which  we,  as  ordinary 
individuals  with  no  personality  beyond  the  next  block, 
are  content  to  sit  and  encourage  the  single  ambition  to 
go  to  Europe  at  least  once,  so  that  we  may  not  be  left 
out  of  the  general  conversation. 

Young  ]\Ir.  King  believed  in  Romance.  He  had  be- 
lieved in  Santa  Claus  and  the  fairies,  and  he  grew  up 
with  an  ever  Increasing  bump  of  imagination,  contiguous 
to  which,  strange  to  relate,  there  was  a  properly   de- 


TRUXTOX  KING  S 

Teloped  bump  of  industry  and  application.  Hence,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  he  was  willing  to  go  far  afield  in 
search  of  the  things  that  seemed  m^ore  or  less  worth  while 
to  a  young  gentleman  who  had  suffered  the  ill-fortune 
to  be  born  in  the  nineteenth  century  instead  of  the  seven- 
teenth. Romance  and  adventure,  politely  amorous  but 
vigorously  attractive,  came  up  to  him  from  the  seven- 
teenth century,  perhaps  through  the  blood  of  some 
swash-buckHng  ancestor,  and  he  was  held  enthralled  by 
the  possibilities  that  lay  hidden  in  some  far  off  or  even 
nearbv  comer  of  this  hopelessly  unromantic  world  of 
the  twentieth  century. 

To  be  sure  there  was  war,  but  war  isn't  Romance.  Be- 
sides, he  was  too  young  to  fight  against  Spain ;  and, 
later  on,  he  happened  to  be  more  interested  in  football 
than  he  was  in  the  Japs  or  the  Russians.  The  only  thing 
left  for  him  to  do  was  to  set  forth  in  quest  of  adventure; 
adventure  was  not  likely  to  apply  to  him  in  Fifth  Avenue 
or  at  the  factory  or — stiU,  there  was  a  certain  kind 
of  adventure  analogous  to  Broadway,  after  all.  He 
thought  it  over  and,  after  trying  it  for  a  year  or  two, 
decided  that  Broadway  and  the  Tenderloin  did  not  pro- 
duce the  sort  of  Romance  he  could  cherish  for  long  as 
a  self-respecting  hero,  so  he  put  certain  small  tempta- 
tions aside,  chastened  himself  as  well  as  he  could,  and 
set  out  for  less  amiable  but  more  productive  by-way?. 
in  other  sections  of  the  globe. 

We  come  upon  him  at  last — luckily  for  us  we  were  not 
actually  following  him — after  two  years  of  wonderful 
but  rather  disillusioning  adventure  in  mid- Asia  and  all 
Africa.  He  had  seen  the  Congo  and  the  Euphrates,  the 
Ganges  and  the  Nile,  the  Yang-tse-kiang  and  the 
Yenisei;  he  had  chmbed  mountains  in  Abyssinia,  in 
Siam,  in  Thibet  and  Afghanistan ;  he  had  shot  big  game 


TRUXTOy  KING 

€bmn  one  jnngk,  aod  had  been  shot  at  br  s-^ 

MB  ill  nore  than  one  f orert,  to  laT  ooihing  of  the 

fittk  cwnirtn  he  had  had  in  n»l  im-6c»dkatal  tow^ 

Strange  to  sa j,  he  was  nam  drilliBg  back  tovaid  the 
cmEsation  vfaidft  ve  are  pleased  to  cafl  our  ovn,  vith  a 
sane  of  gcnine  disappantBeBt  in  his  heart.  He  had 
f  oond  DO  agD  ai  RoBaBoe. 

Tie  in  plcDlj,   hot  BiWMiwr — ah,   the   f airj 
'  -B^Ei^  in  the  storf  books,  after  alL 

tvcnlT-six  jears  old,  stroDg  and  f oil  of  tbe 

"mg  hiiBWf]f  thai  there  vas  nothing  for 

ir^  bad^  to  dear  old  New  York  and 

3at  going  into  the  ofioes;  to  let 

-  J  over  again  of  the  nioe  gills 

to  be  resdied  fnna  ogres  and 

~  r    r        -  '  to  settle  dovn  to  domestic 

^  afl  of  their 

~.g  but  the  truth 

-.  £^  to  feel  that  the 

pon  him  as  a 

For  tm-emtj  dajf  lied  hx  caravan  across  the 

P  V  -        '  and    Meshed    and 

t  ,     3e  alone  tovaid  tbe 

^'ts.    cf   .-  res   of  the  Caspiar. 


:  of  as 


TRUXTON  KING  6 

lish  bank  in  Meshed  assured  him  that  he  w^ould  come  to 
it  if  he  travelled  long  enough  and  far  enough  into  the 
north  and  west  and  if  he  were  not  afraid  of  the  hard- 
ships that  most  men  abhor.  The  dying  spirit  of  Ro- 
mance flamed  up  in  his  heart ;  his  blood  grew  quick  again 
and  eager.  He  would  not  go  home  until  he  had  sought 
out  this  land  of  fair  women  and  sweet  tradition.  And 
JO  he  traversed  the  wild  and  dangerous  Tartar  roads  for 
days  and  days,  like  the  knights  of  Scheherazade  in  the 
times  of  old,  and  came  at  last  to  the  gates  of  Edelweiss. 

Not  until  he  sat  down  to  a  rare  dinner  in  the  historic 
Hotel  Regengetz  was  he  able  to  realise  that  he  was  truly 
in  that  fabled,  mythical  land  of  Graustark,  quaint,  grim 
little  principality  in  the  most  secret  pocket  of  the  earth's 
great  mantle.  This  was  the  land  of  his  dreams,  the  land 
of  his  fancy;  he  had  not  even  dared  to  hope  that  it 
actually  existed. 

And  now,  here  he  was,  pinching  himself  to  prove  that 
he  was  awake,  stretching  his  world-worn  bones  under  a 
dainty  table  to  which  real  food  was  being  brought  by — 
well,  he  was  obliged  to  pinch  himself  again.  From  the 
broad  terrace  after  dinner  he  looked  out  into  the  streets 
of  the  quaint,  picture-book  town  with  its  medieval  sim- 
plicity and  ruggedness  combined;  his  eyes  tried  to  keep 
pace  wdth  the  things  that  his  fertile  brain  was  seeing 
beyond  the  glimmering  lights  and  dancing  window 
panes — for  the  whole  scene  danced  before  him  with  a 
persistent  unreality  that  made  him  feel  his  own  pulse  in 
the  fear  that  some  sudden,  insidious  fever  had  seized 
upon  him. 

If  any  one  had  told  him,  six  months  before,  that  there 
was  such  a  land  as  Graustark  and  that  if  he  could  but 
keep  on  travelling  in  a  certain  direction  he  would  come 
to  it  in  time,  he  would  have  laughed  that  person  to 


6  TRUXTON  KING 

scorn,  no  matter  how  precise  a  geographer  he  might  have 
been. 

Young  Mr.  King,  notwithstanding  his  naturally  reck- 
less devotion  to  first  impressions,  was  a  much  wiser  per- 
son than  when  he  left  his  New  York  liome  two  years  be- 
fore. Roughing  it  in  the  wildest  parts  of  the  world 
had  taught  him  that  eagerness  is  the  enemy  of  commoa 
sense.  Therefore  he  curbed  the  thrilling  impulse  to  fare 
forth  in  search  of  diversion  on  this  first  night ;  he  con- 
quered himself  and  went  to  bed  early — and  to  sleep  at 
once,  if  that  may  serve  to  assist  you  in  getting  an  idea 
of  what  time  and  circumstances  had  done  for  his  char- 
acter. 

A  certain  hard-earned  philosophy  had  conianced  him 
long  ago  that  adventure  is  quite  content  to  wait  over 
from  day  to  day,  but  that  when  a  man  is  tired  and  worn 
it  isn't  quite  sensible  to  expect  sleep  to  be  put  off  regard- 
less. With  a  fine  sense  of  sacrifice,  therefore,  he  went  to 
bed,  forsaking  the  desire  to  tread  the  dim  streets  of  a 
city  by  night  in  advance  of  a  more  cautious  survey  by 
daylight.  He  had  come  to  know  that  it  is  best  to  make 
sure  of  your  ground,  in  a  measure,  at  least,  before  tak- 
ing too  much  for  granted — to  look  before  you  leap,  so 
to  speak.  And  so,  his  mind  tingling  with  visions  of  fair 
ladies  and  goodly  opportunities,  he  went  to  sleep — and 
did  not  get  up  to  breakfast  until  noon  the  next  day. 

And  now  it  becomes  my  deplorable  duty  to  divulge  the 
fact  that  Truxton  King,  after  two  full  days  and  nights 
in  the  city  of  Edelweiss,  was  quite  ready  to  pass  on  to 
other  fields,  completely  disillusionised  in  his  own  mind, 
and  not  a  little  disgusted  with  himself  for  having  gone 
to  the  trouble  to  visit  the  place.  To  his  intense  chagrin, 
he  had  found  the  quaint  old  city  very  tiresome.  True, 
it  was  a  wonderful  old  town,  rich  in  tradition,  pictur- 


TRUXTON  KING  t 

esque  in  character,  hoary  with  age,  bulging  with  the 
secrets  of  an  active  past ;  but  at  present,  according  to 
the  well  travelled  Truxton,  it  was  a  poky  old  place  about 
which  historians  either  had  lied  glorioush^  or  had  been 
taken  in  shamelessly.  In  either  case,  Edelweiss  was  not 
what  he  had  come  to  believe  it  would  be.  He  had  trav- 
elled overland  for  nearly  a  month,  out  of  the  heart  of 
Asia,  to  find  himself,  after  all,  in  a  graveyard  of  great 
expectations ! 

He  had  explored  Edelweiss,  the  capital.  He  had  riddei^ 
about  the  ramparts ;  he  had  taken  snapshots  of  the  for- 
tress down  the  river  and  had  not  been  molested;  he  had 
gone  mule-back  up  the  mountain  to  the  snowcapped 
monastery  of  St.  Valentine,  overtopping  and  overlook- 
ing the  green  valleys  below;  he  had  seen  the  tower  in 
which  illustrious  prisoners  were  reported  to  have  been 
held;  he  had  ridden  over  the  King's  Road  to  Ganlook 
and  had  stood  on  American  bridges  at  midnight — all  the 
while  wondering  why  he  was  there.  Moreover,  he  had 
traversed  the  narrow,  winding  streets  of  the  city  by  day 
and  night ;  never,  in  all  his  travels,  had  he  encountered  a 
more  peaceful,  less  spirit-stirring  place  or  populace. 

Everybody  was  busy,  and  thrifty,  and  law  abiding. 
He  might  just  as  well  have  gone  to  Prague  or  Nurem- 
burg;  either  was  as  old  and  as  quaint  and  as  stupid 
as  this  lukewarm  city  in  tlie  hills. 

Where  were  the  beautiful  women  he  had  read  about  and 
dreamed  of  ever  since  he  left  Teheran?  On  his  soul,  he 
had  not  seen  half  a  dozen  women  in  Edelweiss  who  were 
more  than  passably  fair  to  look  upon.  True,  he  had  to 
admit,  the  people  he  had  seen  were  of  the  lower  and 
middle  classes — the  shopkeepers  and  the  shopgirls,  the 
hucksters  and  the  fruit  vendors.  "VMiat  he  wanted  to 
"know  was  this:    What  had  become  of  the  royaltj*  and 


8  TRUXTON  KING 

the  nobility  of  Graustark?  Where  were  the  princes,  the 
dukes  and  the  barons,  to  say  nothing  of  the  feminine 
concomitants  to  these  excellent  gentlemen? 

What  irritated  him  most  of  all  was  the  amazing  dis- 
covery that  there  was  a  Cook's  tourist  office  in  town  and 
that  no  end  of  parties  arrived  and  departed  under  his 
very  nose,  all  mildly  exhilarated  over  the  fact  that  they 
had  seen  Graustark !  The  interpreter,  with  "Cook's"  on 
his  cap,  was  quite  the  most  important,  if  quite  the  least 
impressive  personage  in  town.  It  is  no  wonder  that  this 
experienced  globe-trotter  was  disgusted! 

There  was  a  train  to  Vienna  three  times  a  week.  He 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  not  let  the  Saturday 
express  go  down  without  him.  He  had  done  some 
emphatic  sputtering  because  he  had  neglected  to  take 
the  one  on  Thursday. 

Shunning  the  newly  discovered  American  club  in  Castle 
Avenue  as  if  it  were  a  pest  house,  he  lugubriously  wan- 
dered the  streets  alone,  painfully  conscious  that  the 
citizens,  instead  of  staring  at  him  with  admiring  eyes, 
were  taking  but  little  notice  of  him.  Tall  young  Ameri- 
cans were  quite  common  in  Edelweiss  in  these  days. 

One  dingy  little  shop  in  the  square  interested  him.  It 
was  directly  opposite  the  Royal  Cafe  (with  American 
bar  attached),  and  the  contents  of  its  grimy  little  win- 
dows presented  a  peculiarly  fascinating  interest  to  him. 
Time  and  again,  he  crossed  over  from  the  Cafe  garden  tc 
look  into  tliese  windows.  They  were  packed  with  weapon^ 
and  firearms  of  such  ancient  design  that  he  wondered 
what  they  could  have  been  used  for,  even  in  the  Middle 
Ages.  Once  he  ventured  inside  the  little  shop.  Finding 
no  attendant,  he  put  aside  his  suddenly  formed  impulse 
to  purchase  a  mighty  broadsword.  From  somewhere  in 
the  rear  of  the  building  came  the  clanging  of  steel  ham- 


TRUXTOX  KING  9 

mers,  the  ringing  of  highly  tempered  metals ;  but,  al- 
though he  pounded  vigorously  with  his  cane,  no  one  came 
forth  to  attend  him. 

On  several  occasions  he  had  seen  a  grim,  sharp-featured 
old  man  in  the  doorway  of  the  shop,  but  it  was  not  until 
after  he  had  missed  the  Thursday  train  that  he  made  up 
his  mind  to  accost  him  and  to  have  the  broadsword  at 
any  price.  With  this  object  in  view,  he  quickly  crossed 
the  square  and  inserted  his  tall  frame  into  the  narrow 
doorway,  calling  out  lustily  for  attention.  So  loudly 
did  he  shout  that  the  multitude  of  ancient  swords  and 
guns  along  the  walls  seemed  to  rattle  in  terror  at  this 
sudden  encroachment  of  the  present. 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  a  sharp,  angry  voice  at  his 
elbow.  He  wheeled  and  found  himself  looking  into  the 
wizened,  parchment-like  face  of  the  Httle  old  man,  whose 
black  eves  snapped  -v-iciouslv.  "Do  you  think  I  am 
deaf.-"  ' 

"I  didn't  know  you  were  here,"  gasped  Truxton,  for- 
getting to  be  surprised  by  the  other's  English.  "The 
place  looked  empty.     Excuse  me  for  yelling." 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"That  broad —     Say,  you  speak  English,  don't  you?" 

"Certainly,"  snapped  the  old  man.  "Why  shouldn't  I? 
I  can't  afford  an  interpreter.  You'll  find  plenty  of 
English  used  here  in  Edelweiss  since  the  Americans  and 
British  came.  They  won't  learn  our  language,  so  we 
must  leam  theirs." 

"You  speak  it  quite  as  well  as  I  do." 

"Better,  3'oung  man.  You  are  an  American."  The 
sarcasm  was  not  lost  on  Truxton  King,  but  he  was  not 
inclined  to  resent  it.  A  twinkle  had  come  into  the  eyes 
of  the  ancient ;  the  deep  lines  about  his  lips  seemed 
almost  readv  to  crack  into  a  smile. 


10  TRUXTON  KING 

"What's  the  price  of  that  old  sword  you  have  in  the 
window?" 

"Do  you  wish  to  purchase  it?" 

"Certainly." 

"Three  hundred  ga\"v-os." 

"What's  that  in  dollars?" 

"Four  hundred  and  twenty." 

"Whew !" 

"It  is  genuine,  sir,  and  three  hundred  years  old.  Old 
Prince  Boris  carried  it.  It's  most  rare.  Ten  3'ears  ago 
you  might  have  had  it  for  fifty  gavvos.  But,"  with  a 
shrug  of  his  thin  shoulders,  "the  price  of  antiquities  has 
gone  up  materially  since  the  Americans  began  to  come. 
They  don't  want  a  thing  if  it  is  cheap." 

"I'll  give  you  a  hundred  dollars  for  it,  Mr. — er — "  he 
looked  at  the  sign  on  the  open  door — "Mr.  Spantz." 

"Good  day,  sir."  The  old  man  was  bowing  him  out  of 
the  shop.     King  was  amused. 

"Let's  talk  it  over.  What's  the  least  you'll  take  in  real 
money?" 

"I  don't  want  your  money.     G<)od  day." 

Truxton  King  felt  his  chin  in  perplexity.  In  all  his 
travels  he  had  found  no  other  merchant  whom  he  could 
not  "beat  down"  two  or  three  hundred  per  cent,  on  an 
article. 

"It's  too  much.  I  can't  afford  it,"  he  said,  disappoint- 
;ment  in  his  eyes. 

"I  have  modern  blades  of  my  own  make,  sir,  much 
cheaper  and  quite  as  good,"  ventured  the  excellent  Mr. 
Spantz. 

"You  make  'em  ?"  in  surprise. 

The  old  man  straightened  his  bent  figure  with  sudden 
pride.  "I  am  armourer  to  the  crown,  sir.  My  blades  are 
used  by  the  nobility — not  by  the  army,  I  am  happy  to 


TRUXTON  KING  11 

say.     Spantz  repairs  the  swords  and  guns  for  the  army, 
but  he  welds  only  for  the  gentlemen  at  court." 
"I  see.     Tradition,  I  suppose." 

"My  great-grandfather  wrought  blades  for  the  princes 
a  hundred  years  ago.  My  son  will  make  them  after  I 
am  gone,  and  his  son  after  him.  I,  sir,  have  made  the 
wonderful  blade  with  the  golden  hilt  and  scabbard  which 
the  little  Prince  carries  on  days  of  state.  It  was  two 
years  in  the  making.  There  is  no  other  blade  so  fine. 
It  is  so  short  that  you  would  laugh  at  it  as  a  weapon, 
and  yet  you  could  bend  it  double.  Ah,  there  was  a 
splendid  piece  of  work,  sir.  You  should  see  the  little 
toy  to  appreciate  it.     There  are  diamonds  and  rubies 

worth  50,000  gavvos  set  in  the  handle.     Ah,  it  is " 

Truxton's  eyes  were  sparkling  once  more.  Somehow 
he  was  amused  by  the  sudden  garrulousness  of  the  old 
armourer.  He  held  up  his  hand  to  check  the  flow  of 
words. 

"I  say,  Herr  Spantz,  or  Monsieur,  perhaps,  you  are  the 
first  man  I've  met  who  has  volunteered  to  go  into  rhapso- 
dies for  my  benefit.  I'd  like  to  have  a  good  long  chat 
with  you.  What  do  you  say  to  a  mug  of  that  excellent 
beer  over  in  the  Cafe  garden?  Business  seems  to  be  a 
little  dull.     Can't  you — er — lock  up?" 

Spantz  looked  at  him  keenly  under  his  bushy  brows,  his 
little  black  eyes  fairly  boring  holes  into  King's  brain,  so 
to  speak. 

"May  I  ask  what  brings  you  to  Edelweiss?"  he  asked 
abruptly. 

"I  don't  mind  telling  you,  Mr.  Spantz,  that  I'm  here 
because  I'm  somewhat  of  a  fool.  False  hopes  led  me 
astray.  I  thought  Graustark  was  the  home,  the  genesis 
of  Romance,  and  I'm  more  or  less  like  that  chap  we've 
read  about,   who   was    always   in   search   of  adventure. 


12  TRUXTON  KING 

Somehow,  Graustark  hasn't  come  up  to  expectations. 
Up  to  date,  tliis  is  the  slowest  burg  I've  ever  seen.  I'm 
leaving  next  Saturday  for  Vienna." 

"I  see,"  cackled  Spantz,  his  eyes  twinkling  with  mirth. 
"You  thought  you  could  capture  wild  and  beautiful 
princesses  here  just  as  you  pleased,  eh.''  Let  me  tell  you, 
young  man,  only  one  American — only  one  foreigner,  in 
fact — has  accomplished  that  miracle.  Mr.  Lorry  came 
here  ten  years  ago  and  won  the  fairest  flower  Graustark 
ever  produced — the  beautiful  Yetive — but  he  was  the 
only  one.  I  suppose  you  are  surprised  to  find  Graustark 
a  solid,  prosperous,  God-fearing  little  countr}',  whose 
people  are  wise  and  happy  and  lo^-al.  You  have  learned, 
by  this  time,  that  we  have  no  princesses  for  you  to  pro- 
tect. It  isn't  as  it  was  when  Mr.  Lorry  came  and  found 
Her  Serene  Highness  in  mediaeval  difficulties.  There  is 
a  prince  on  the  throne  to-day — you've  seen  him.^" 

"Xo.  I'm  not  looking  for  princes.  I've  seen  hundreds 
of  'em  in  all  parts  of  the  world." 

"Well,  you  should  see  Prince  Robin  before  you  scoff. 
He's  the  most  wonderful  little  man  in  all  the  world." 

"I've  heard  of  nothing  but  him,  my  good  Mr.  Spantz. 
He's  seven  years  old  and  he  looks  like  his  mother  and  he's 
got  a  jewelled  sword  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  I  dare- 
say he's  a  nice  little  chap.  Got  American  blood  in  him, 
you  see." 

"Do  not  let  any  one  hear  you  laugh  about  him,  sir. 
The  people  worship  him.  If  you  laugh  too  publicly,  you 
may  have  your  hands  full  of  adventures  in  a  very  few 
minutes — and  your  body  full  of  fine  steel  blades.  We 
are  very  proud  of  our  Prince." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Spantz.  I  didn't  mean  les^ 
majestc.  I'm  bored,  that's  all.  You  wouldn't  blame  me 
for  being  sore  if  you'd  come  as  far  as  I  have  ar.d  got  as 


TRUXTON  KING  13 

little  for  your  pains.  Why,  hang  it  all,  this  morning 
that  confounded  man  from  Cook's  had  a  party  of  twenty- 
two  American  school-teachers  and  Bible  students  in  the 
Castle  grounds  and  I  had  to  stand  on  my  toes  outside 
the  walls  for  two  hours  before  I  could  get  a  permit  to 
enter.  American  engineers  are  building  the  new  railroad ; 
American  capital  controls  the  telephone  and  electric  light 
companies ;  there  are  two  American  moving  picture 
shows  in  Regengetz  Circus  and  an  American  rush  hand 
laundry  two  blocks  up.  And  you  can  get  Bourbon 
whisky  anywhere.     It's  sickening." 

"The  Americans  have  done  much  for  Edelweiss,  sir. 
We  don't  resent  their  progressiveness.  They  have  given 
us  modern  improvements  without  overthrowing  ancient 
customs.  My  dear  young  sir,  we  are  very  old  here — 
and  very  honest.  That  reminds  me  that  I  should  accept 
your  kind  invitation  to  the  Cafe  garden.  If  you  will 
bear  with  me  for  just  one  moment,  sir."  With  this 
polite  request,  the  old  man  retired  to  the  rear  of  the 
shop  and  called  out  to  some  one  upstairs.  A  woman's 
voice  answered.  The  brief  conversation  which  followed 
was  in  a  tongue  unknown  to  King. 

"My  niece  will  keep  shop,  sir,  while  I  am  out,"  Spantz 
explained,  taking  his  hat  from  a  peg  behind  the  door. 
Truxton  could  scarcely  restrain  a  smile  as  he  glanced 
over  his  queer  httle  old  guest.  He  looked  eighty  but  was 
as  sprightly  as  a  man  of  forty.  A  fine  companion  for 
a  youth  of  twenty-six  in  search  of  adventure ! 

They  paused  near  the  door  until  the  old  man's  niece 
appeared  at  the  back  of  the  shop.  King's  first  glance 
at  the  girl  was  merely  a  casual  one.  His  second  was 
more  or  less  in  the  nature  of  a  stare  of  amazement. 

A  young  woman  of  the  most  astounding  beauty,  at- 
tired in  the  black  and  red  of  the  Graustark  middle  classes, 


14,  TRUXTON  KING 

was  slowly  approaching  from  the  shadowy  recesses  at  the 
end  of  the  shop.  She  gave  him  but  a  cursory  glance,  in 
which  no  interest  was  apparent,  and  ghded  quietly  into 
the  little  nook  behind  the  counter,  almost  at  his  elbow. 
His  heart  enjoyed  a  lively  thump.  Here  was  the  first 
noticeably  good-looking  woman  he  had  seen  in  Edelweiss, 
and,  by  the  powers,  she  was  a  sword-maker's  niece ! 

The  old  man  looked  sharply  at  him  for  an  instant,  and 
a  quick  little  smile  writhed  in  and  out  among  the  nmss 
of  wrinkles.  Instead  of  passing  directly  out  of  the  shop, 
Spantz  stopped  a  moment  to  give  the  girl  some  suddenly 
recalled  instruction.  Truxton  King,  you  may  be  sure, 
did  not  precede  the  old  man  into  the  street.  He  de- 
liberately removed  his  hat  and  waited  most  politely  for 
age  to  go  before  youth,  in  the  meantime  blandly  gazing 
upon  the  face  of  this  amazing  niece. 

Across  the  square,  at  one  of  the  tables,  he  awaited  his 
chance  and  a  plausible  excuse  for  questioning  the  old 
man  without  giving  offence.  Somewhere  back  in  his  im- 
pressionable brain  there  was  growing  a  distinct  hope 
that  this  beautiful  young  creature  with  the  dreamy  eyes 
was  something  more  than  a  mere  shopgirl.  It  had  oc- 
curred to  him  in  that  one  brief  moment  of  contact  that 
she  had  the  air,  the  poise  of  a  true  aristocrat. 

The  old  man,  over  his  huge  mug  of  beer,  was  properly 
grateful.  He  was  wilhng  to  repay  King  for  his  little 
1  attention  by  giving  him  a  careful  history  of  Graustark, 
past,  present  and  future,  from  the  time  of  Tartar  rule 
to  the  time  of  the  so-called  "American  invasion."  His 
glowing  description  of  the  little  Prince  might  have  inter- 
ested Truxton  in  his  Lord  Fauntleroy  days,  but  just  at 
present  he  was  more  happily  engaged  in  speculating  on 
the  true  identity  of  the  girl  in  the  gun-shop.  He  re- 
called the  fact  that  a  former  royal  princess  of  Grau- 


TRUXTON  KING  15' 

stark  had  gone  sight-seeing  over  the  world,  incognita, 
as  a  Miss  Guggenslocker,  and  had  been  romantically 
snatched  up  by  a  lucky  American  named  Lorry.  What 
if  this  girl  in  the  gun-shop  should  turn  out  to  be  a — 
well,  he  could  hardly  hope  for  a  princess ;  but  she  might 
be  a  countess. 

The  old  man  was  rambling  on.  "The  young  Prince  has  ^ 
lived  most  of  his  hfe  in  Washington  and  London  and 
Paris,  sir.  He's  only  seven,  sir.  Of  course,  you  re- 
member the  dreadful  accident  that  made  him  an  orphan 
and  put  him  on  the  throne  with  the  three  'wise  men  of 
the  East'  as  regents  or  governors.  The  train  wreck 
near  Brussels,  sir.'^  His  mother,  the  glorious  Princess 
Yetive,  was  killed  and  his  father,  Mr.  Lorry,  died  the 
next  day  from  his  injuries.  That,  sir,  was  a  most  ap- 
palling blow  to  the  people  of  Graustark.  We  loved  the 
Princess  and  we  admired  her  fine  American  husband. 
There  never  will  be  another  pair  like  them,  sir.  And  to 
think  of  them  being  destroyed  as  they  were — in  the  most 
dreadful  way,  sir.  Their  coach  was  demolished,  you 
remember.  I — I  will  not  go  into  the  details.  You  know 
them,  of  course.  God  alone  preserved  the  little  Prince. 
He  was  travelling  wath  them,  on  the  way  from  London  to 
Edelweiss.  By  some  strange  interv^ention  of  Providence 
he  had  gone  with  his  governess  and  other  members  of 
the  party  to  the  luggage  van  in  the  fore  part  of  the 
train,  which  had  stopped  on  a  side  track  below  the  sta- 
tion. The  collision  was  from  the  rear,  a  broken  rail 
throwing  a  locomotive  into  the  Princess's  coach.  This 
providential  escape  of  the  young  Prince  preserv^ed  the 
unbroken  line  of  the  present  royal  family.  If  he  had 
been  killed,  the  dynast}^  would  have  come  to  an  end,  and, 
I  am  telling  no  secret,  sir,  when  I  say  that  a  new  form 
of  government  would  have  followed." 


16  TRUXTOX  KING 

"What  sort  of  government  ?" 

"A  more  modem  system,  sir.  Perhaps  sociahstic.  I 
can't  say.  At  all  events,  a  new  dynasty  could  not  have 
been  formed.  The  people  would  have  rejected  it.  But 
Prince  Robin  was  spared  and,  if  I  do  say  it,  sir,  he  is  the 
manliest  little  prince  in  all  the  world.  You  should  see 
;him  ride  and  fence  and  shoot — and  he  is  but  seven!" 
1  "I  say,  Mr.  Spantz,  I  don't  beheve  I've  told  you  that 
your  niece  is  a  most  remarkably  beau " 

"As  I  was  saying,  sir," interrupted  Spantz,  so  pointedly 
that  Truxton  flushed,  "the  little  Prince  is  the  idol  of  all 
the  people.  Under  the  present  regency  he  is  obliged 
to  reside  in  the  principality  until  his  fifteenth  year,  after 
which  he  may  be  permitted  to  travel  abroad.  Graustark 
intends  to  preserve  him  to  herself  if  it  is  in  her  power 
to  do  so.  Woe  betide  the  man  who  thinks  or  docs  ill 
toward  little  Prince  Robin." 

King  was  suddenly  conscious  of  a  strange  intentness  of 
gaze  on  the  old  man's  part.  A  peculiar,  indescribable 
chill  swept  over  him;  he  had  a  distinct,  vivid  impression 
that  some  subtle  power  was  exercising  itself  upon  him — 
a  power  that,  for  the  briefest  instant,  held  him  in  a  grip 
of  iron.  What  it  was,  he  could  not  have  told ;  it  passed 
almost  immediately.  Something  in  the  old  man's  eyes, 
perhaps — or  was  it  something  in  the  queer  smile  that 
flickered  about  his  lips.'' 

"My  dear  Mr.  Spantz,"  he  hastened  to  say,  as  if  a 
defence  were  necessary,  "please  don't  get  it  into  your 
head  that  I'm  thinking  ill  of  the  Prince.  I  daresay  he's 
a  fine  little  chap  and  I'm  sorry  he's — er — lost  his  par- 
ents." 

Spantz  lauglied,  a  soft,  mirthless  gurgle  that  caused 
Truxton  to  wonder  why  he  had  made  the  eff^ort  at  all. 
"I  imagine  His  Serene  Highness  has  little  to  fear  from 


TRUXTOX  KING  17 

any  American,"  he  said  quietly.  "He  has  been  taught  to 
love  and  respect  the  men  of  his  father's  land.  He  loves 
America  quite  as  dearly  as  he  loves  Graustark."  Despite 
the  seeming  sincerity  of  the  remark,  Truxton  was 
vaguely  conscious  that  a  peculiar  harshness  had  crept 
into  the  other's  voice.  He  glanced  sharply  at  the  old 
man's  face.  For  the  first  time  he  noticed  something  sin- 
ister— yes,  evil — In  the  leathery  countenance ;  a  stealthi- 
ness  in  the  hard  smile  that  seemed  to  transform  it  at  once 
into  a  pronounced  leer.  Like  a  flash  there  darted  into  the 
AmiCrlcan's  active  brain  a  conviction  that  there  could 
be  no  common  relationship  between  this  flinty  old  man 
and  the  delicate,  refined  girl  he  had  seen  In  the  shop. 
Now  he  recalled  the  fact  that  her  dark  eyes  had  a  look 
of  sadness  and  dejection  in  their  depths,  and  that  hei 
face  was  pecuHarly  white  and  unsmiling. 

Spantz  was  eyeing  him  narrowly.  "You  do  not  ap- 
pear Interested  in  our  royal  family,"  he  ventured  coldly, 

Truxton  hastened  to  assure  him  that  he  was  keenly  in- 
terested. "Especially  so,  now  that  I  appreciate  that  th? 
httle  Prince  Is  the  last  of  his  race." 

"There  are  three  regents,  sir,  in  charge  of  the  afl'aira 
of  state — Count  Halfont,  the  Duke  of  Perse  and  Baron 
Jasto  Dangloss,  who  is  minister  of  police.  Count  Hal- 
font  is  a  granduncle  of  the  Prince,  by  marriage.  The 
Duke  of  Perse  is  the  father  of  the  unhappy  Countess 
In^omede,  the  vouncn  and  beautiful  wife  of  the  exiled 
"Iron  Count"  Marlanx.    No  doubt  you've  heard  of  him." 

"I've  read  something  about  him.  Sort  of  a  gay  old 
bounder,  wasn't  he.'^  Seems  to  me  I  recall  the  stories  that 
were  printed  about  him  a  few  years  ago,  I  remember 
that  he  was  banished  from  the  prIncipaHty  and  his  es- 
tates seized  by  the  Crown." 

"Quite  tnie,  sir.     He  was  banished  in  1901  and  now 


18  TRUXTON  KING 

resides  on  his  estates  in  Austria.  Three  years  ago,  in 
Buda  Pcsth,  he  was  married  to  Ingomede,  the  daughter 
of  the  Duke.  Count  Marlanx  has  great  influence  at  the 
Austrian  court.  Despite  the  fact  that  lie  is  a  despised 
and  discredited  man  in  his  own  countr}^,  he  still  is  a 
power  among  people  high  in  the  government  of  more 
than  one  empire.  The  Duke  of  Perse  realised  this  when 
he  compelled  his  daughter  to  accept  him  as  her  husband. 
The  fair  Ingomede  is  less  than  twenty-five  years  of  age ; 
the  Iron  Count  is  fully  sixty-five." 

"She  ought  to  be  rescued,"  was  King's  only  comment, 
but  there  was  no  mistsiking  the  gleam  of  interest  in  his 
steady  grey  eyes. 

"Rescued.^"  repeated  the  old  man,  with  a  broad  grin. 
"And  why.^  She  is  mistress  of  one  of  the  finest  old 
castles  in  Austria,  Schloss  Marlanx,  and  she  is  quite 
beautiful  enough  to  have  lovers  b}'  the  score  when  the 
Count  grows  a  little  bhnder  and  less  jealous.  She  is  in 
Edelweiss  at  present,  visiting  her  father.  The  Count 
never  comes  here." 

"I'd  like  to  see  her  if  she's  really  beautiful.  I've  seen 
but  one  pretty  woman  in  this  whole  blamed  town — your 
niece,  Herr  Spantz.  I've  looked  'em  over  pretty  care- 
fully, too.     She  is  exceedingly  attract " 

"Pardon  me,  sir,  but  it  is  not  the  custom  in  Graustark 
to  discuss  our  women  in  the  public  drinking  places." 
King  felt  as  if  he  had  received  a  slap  in  the  face.  He 
turned  a  fiery  red  under  his  tan  and  mumbled  some  sort 
of  an  apology.  "The  Countess  is  a  public  personage, 
however,  and  we  may  speak  of  her,"  went  on  the  old  m.an 
quickly,  as  the  American,  in  his  confusion,  called  a  waiter 
to  replenish  the  tankards.  The  steely  glitter  that  leaped 
into  the  armourer's  eyes  at  this  second  reference  to  his 
niece  disappeared  as  quickly  as  it  came ;  somehow  it  left 


TRUXTON  KING  19 

behind  the  impression  that  he  knew  how  to  wield  the 
deadly  blades  he  wrought. 

"I'd  like  to  hear  more  about  her,"  murmured  Mr.  King. 
"Anything  to  pass  the  time  away,  Mr.  Spantz.  As  I 
said  before,  I  journeyed  far  to  reach  this  land  of  fair 
women  and  if  there's  one  to  be  seen,  I'm  properly  eager 
to  jump  at  the  chance.  I've  been  here  two  days  and  I've 
seen  nothing  that  could  start  up  the  faintest  flutter 
around  m}^  heart.  I'm  sorry  to  sa}^,  my  good  friend,  that 
the  women  I've  seen  in  the  streets  of  Edelweiss  are  not 
beauties.  I  won't  say  that  they'd  stop  a  clock,  but  the^^'d 
cause  it  to  lose  two  or  three  hours  a  day,  all  right 
enough." 

"You  will  not  find  the  beautiful  women  of  Edelweiss  in 
the  streets,  sir." 

"Don't  they  ever  go  out  shopping. P" 

"Hardly.  The  merchants,  if  you  will  but  notice,  carry 
their  wares  to  the  houses  of  the  noble  and  the  rich. 
Graustark  ladies  of  quahty  would  no  more  think  of 
setting  foot  in  a  shop  or  bazaar  than  they  would  think 
of  entering  a  third  class  carriage.  Believe  me,  there  are 
many  beautiful  women  in  the  homes  along  Castle  Avenue. 
Noblemen  come  hundreds  of  miles  to  pa}'  court  to  them." 

"Just  the  same,  I'm  disgusted  with  the  place.  It's  not 
what  it's  cracked  up  to  be.  Saturday  wiU  see  me  on 
^my  way." 

"To-morrow  the  garrison  at  the  fortress  marches  in 
review  before  the  Prince.  If  you  should  happen  to  be 
'on  the  avenue  near  the  Castle  gate  at  twelve  o'clock,  you 
will  see  the  beauty  and  chivalry  of  Graustark.  The 
soldiers  are  not  the  only  ones  who  are  on  parade."  There 
was  an  unmistakable  sneer  in  his  tone. 

"You  don't  care  much  for  society,  I'd  say,"  observed 
Truxton,  with  a  smile. 


20  TRUXTOX  KING 

Spantz's  eyes  flamed  for  an  instant  and  thoii  subtly  re- 
sumed their  most  ingratiating  twinkle.  "We  cannot  all 
be  peacocks,"  he  said  quietly.  "You  will  see  the  Prince, 
his  court  and  all  the  distinguished  men  of  the  city  and 
the  army.  You  will  also  see  that  the  man  who  rides 
beside  the  Prince's  carriage  wheel  is  an  American,  while 
Graustark  nobles  take  less  exalted  places." 

"An  American,  eh.''" 

"Yes.  Have  you  not  heard  of  John  Tullis,  the  Prince's 
friend?" 

"Another  seven-year-old?" 

"Not  at  all.  A  grown  man,  sir.  He,  your  country- 
man, is  the  real  power  behind  our  throne.  On  his  death- 
bed, the  Prince's  father  placed  his  son  in  this  American's 
charge  and  begged  him  to  stand  by  him  through  thick 
and  thin  until  the  lad  is  able  to  take  care  of  himself. 
As  if  there  were  not  loyal  men  in  Graustark  who  might 
have  done  as  much  for  their  Prince !" 

King  looked  interested.  "I  see.  The  people,  no  doubt, 
resent  this  espionage.     Is  that  it?" 

Spantz  gave  him  a  withering  look,  as  much  as  to  say 
that  he  was  a  fool  to  ask  such  a  question  in  a  place  so 
public.  Without  replying,  he  got  to  his  feet  and  made 
ready  to  leave  the  little  garden. 

"I  must  return.  I  have  been  away  too  long.  Tliank 
you,  sir,  for  3^our  kindness  to  an  old  man.  Good  day, 
sir,  and " 

"Hold  on !  I  think  I'll  walk  over  with  you  and  have 
another  look  at  that  broadsword.     I'm " 

"To-morrow,  sir.  It  is  past  time  to  close  the  shop  for 
to-day.     Come  to-morrow.     Good  day." 

He  was  crossing  the  sidewalk  nimbly  before  King  could 
offer  a  word  of  remonstrance.  With  a  disappointed  sigh, 
the  American  sank  back  in  fcis  chair,  and  watched  his  odd 


TRUXTON  KING  21 

companion  scurry  across  the  square.  Suddenly  he  be- 
came conscious  of  a  disquieting  feeling  that  some  one 
was  looking  at  him  intently  from  behind.  He  turned 
in  his  chair  and  found  him.self  meeting  the  gaze  of  a 
ferocious  looking,  military  appearing  little  man  at  a 
table  near  by.  To  his  surprise,  the  little  man's  fierce 
stare  maintained  its  peculiarly  personal  intentness  until 
he,  himself,  was  compelled  to  withdraw  his  own  gaze  in 
some  little  confusion  and  displeasure.  His  waiter  ap- 
peared at  his  elbow  with  the  change. 

"Who  the  devil  is  that  old  man  at  the  table  there?" 
demanded  young  Mr.  King  loudly. 

The  waiter  assumed  a  look  of  extreme  insolence.  "That 
is  Baron  Dangloss,  Minister  of  Police.  Anything  more, 
sir.?" 

"Yes.  What's  he  looking  so  hard  at  me  for.?  Does  ho 
think  I'm  a  pickpocket.?" 

"You  know  as  much  as  I,  sir,"  was  all  that  the  waiter 
said  in  reply.  King  pocketed  the  coin  he  had  intended 
for  the  fellow,  and  deliberately  left  the  place.  He  could 
not  put  off  the  feeling,  however,  that  the  intense  stare  of 
Baron  Dangloss,  the  watch-dog  of  the  land,  followed  him 
until  the  corner  of  the  wall  intervened.  The  now  in- 
censed Am.erican  glanced  involuntarily  across  the  square 
in  the  direction  of  Spantz's  shop.  He  saw  three  mounted 
soldiers  ride  up  to  the  curb  and  hail  the  armourer  as  he 
started  to  close  his  doors.  As  he  sauntered  across  the 
little  square  his  gaze  suddenly  shifted  to  a  second-story 
window  above  the  gun-shop. 

The  interesting  young  woman  had  cautiously  pushed 
open  one  of  the  shutters  and  was  peering  down  upon  the 
trio  of  red-coated  guardsmen.  Almost  at  the  same  in- 
stant her  quick,  eager  gaze  fell  upon  the  tall  American, 
now  quite  close  to  the  horsemen.     He  saw  her  dark  eyesr 


22  TRUXTON  KING 

expand  as  if  with  surprise.  The  next  instant  he  caught 
his  breath  and  ahnost  stopped  in  his  tracks. 

A  shy,  impulsive  smile  played  about  her  red  lips  for  a 
second,  lighting  up  the  delicate  face  with  a  radiance  that 
amazed  him.  Tlien  the  shutter  was  closed  gently, 
quickly.  His  first  feeling  of  elation  was  followed  in- 
stantly by  the  disquieting  impression  that  it  was  a  mock- 
ing smile  of  amusement  and  not  one  of  inviting  friendli- 
ness. He  felt  his  ears  burn  as  he  abruptly  turned  off  to 
the  right,  for,  somehow,  he  knew  that  she  was  peeping 
at  him  through  the  blinds  and  that  something  about  his 
tall,  rangy  figure  was  appealing  to  her  sense  of  the 
ridiculous. 

You  will  see  at  once  that  Truxton  King,  imaginative 
chap  that  he  was,  had  pounced  upon  this  slim,  attractive 
young  woman  as  the  only  plausible  heroine  for  his  pros- 
pective romance,  and,  as  such,  she  could  not  be  guilty  of 
forwardness  or  lack  or  dignity.  Besides,  first  impressions 
are  alwa3's  good  ones :  she  had  struck  him  at  the  outset 
as  being  a  girl  of  rare  delicacy  and  refinement. 

In  the  meantime,  Baron  Dangloss  was  watching  him 
covertly  from  the  edge  of  the  Cafe  garden  across  the 
square. 


CHAPTER  II 

A    MEETING    OF    THE    CABINET 

At  this  time,  the  principalit}'  of  Graustark  was  in  a 
most  prosperous  condition.  Its  affairs  were  under  the 
control  of  an  able  ministry,  headed  by  the  venerable 
Count  Halfont.  The  Duke  of  Perse,  for  years  a  resi- 
dent of  St.  Petersburg,  and  a  financier  of  high  standing, 
had  returned  to  Edelweiss  soon  after  the  distressing 
death  of  the  late  Princess  Yetive  and  her  American  hus- 
band, and  to  him  was  entrusted  the  treasury  portfolio. 
He  at  once  proceeded  to  endear  himself  to  the  common 
people  by  the  advocacy  of  a  lower  rate  of  taxation ;  this 
meant  the  reduction  of  the  standing  army.  He  secured 
new  and  advantageous  treaties  with  old  and  historic 
foes,  putting  Graustark's  financial  credit  upon  a  high 
footing  in  the  European  capitals.  The  people  smugly 
regarded  themselves  as  safe  in  the  hands  of  the  miserly 
but  honest  old  financier.  If  he  accomplished  many  things 
by  wa}^  of  office  to  enhance  his  own  particular  fortune, 
no  one  looked  askance,  for  he  made  no  effort  to  blind  or 
deceive  his  people.  Of  his  honesty  there  could  be  no 
question ;  of  his  financial  operations,  it  is  enough  to  say 
that  the  people  were  satisfied  to  have  their  affairs  linked 
with  his. 

The  financing  of  the  great  railroad  project  by  which 
Edelweiss  was  to  be  connected  with  the  Siberian  line  in 
the  north,  fell  to  his  lot  at  a  time  when  no  one  else  could 
have  saved  the  little  government  from  heavy  losses  or 
even  bankruptcy.  The  new  line  traversed  the  country 
from  Serros,  capital  of  Dawsbergen,  through  the  moun- 
tains and  canyons  of  Graustark,  across  Axphain's  broad 


24  TRUXTON  KING 

steppes  and  lowlands,  to  a  point  at  which  Russia  stood 
ready  to  begin  a  connecting  branch  for  junction  with 
her  great  line  to  the  Pacific.  All  told,  it  was  a  stupen- 
dous undertaking  for  a  small  government  to  finance ;  it 
is  well  known  that  Graustark  owns  and  controls  her  pub- 
lic utility  institutions.  The  road,  now  about  half  com- 
pleted, was  to  be  nearly  two  hundred  miles  in  length, fully 
two-thirds  of  which  was  on  Graustark  territory.  The 
preponderance  of  cost  of  construction  fell  upon  that 
principahty,  Dawsbergen  and  Axphain  escaping  with 
comparatively  small  obHgations  owing  to  the  fact  that 
they  had  few  mountains  to  contend  with.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  Dawsbergen  and  Axphain  ends  of  the  rail- 
road were  now  virtually  built  and  waiting  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  extensive  work  in  the  Graustark  highlands. 

The  opening  of  tliis  narrative  finds  the  ministry  pre- 
paring to  float  a  new  five  million  gawo  issue  of  bonds 
for  construction  and  equipment  purposes.  Agents  of 
the  government  were  ready  to  depart  for  London  and 
Paris  to  take  up  the  matter  with  the  great  banking 
houses.  St.  Petersburg  and  Berlin  were  not  to  be  given 
the  opportunity  to  gobble  up  these  extremely  fine  se- 
curities. This  seemingly  extraordinary^  exclusion  of 
Russian  and  German  bidders  was  the  result  of  vigorous 
objections  raised  by  an  utter  outsider,  the  American, 
John  Tullis,  long  time  friend  and  companion  of  Grenfall 
Lorry,  consort  to  the  late  Princess. 

Tullis  was  a  strange  man  in  many  particulars.  He 
was  under  forty  years  of  age,  but  even  at  that  rather 
immature  time  of  life  he  had  come  to  be  recognised  as 
a  shrewd,  successful  financial  power  in  his  home  city, 
New  York.  At  the  very  zenith  of  his  power  he  suddenly 
and  with  Quixotic  disregard  for  consequences  gave  up 
liis  own  business  and  came  to  Graustark  for  residence, 


A  MEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  25 

following  a  promise  made  to  Grenfall  Lorry  when  the 
latter  lay  dying  in  a  little  inn  near  Brussels. 

They  had  been  hfelong  friends.  Tulhs  jestingly  called 
himself  the  little  Prince's  ''morganatic  godfather."  For 
two  years  he  had  been  a  constant  resident  of  Graustark, 
living  contentedly,  even  indolently,  in  the  picturesque  old 
Castle,  his  rooms  just  across  the  corridor  from  those 
occupied  by  the  little  Prince.  To  this  small  but  im- 
portant bit  of  royalty  he  was  "Uncle  Jack'' ;  in  that 
capacity  he  was  the  most  beloved  and  at  the  same  time 
the  most  abused  gentleman  in  all  Graustark.  As  many 
as  ten  times  a  week  he  was  signally  banished  from  the 
domain  by  the  loving,  headstrong  httle  ruler,  only  to 
be  recalled  with  grave  dignity  and  a  few  tears  when  he 
went  so  far  as  to  talk  of  packing  his  "duds"  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  edict. 

John  Tullis,  strong  character  though  he  was.  found 
this  lazy,  dolce  far  niente  life  much  to  his  liking.  He 
was  devoted  to  the  boy ;  he  was  interested  in  the  life  at 
this  tiny  court.  The  days  of  public  and  court  mouniing 
for  the  lamented  Princess  and  her  husband  wearing  away 
after  an  established  period,  he  found  himself  eagerly 
delvino-  into  the  s-aieties  that  followed.  Life  at  the  Castle 
and  in  the  homes  of  the  nobihty  provided  a  new  arid 
sharp  contrast  to  the  busy,  sordid  existence  he  had  known 
at  home.  It  was  like  a  fine,  wholesome,  endless  dream  to 
him.  He  drifted  on  the  joyous,  smiling  tide  of  pleasure 
that  swept  Edelweiss  with  its  careless  waves  night  and 
day.  Clever,  handsome,  sincere  in  his  attitude  of  loyalty 
toward  these  people  of  the  topmost  east,  he  was  not  long 
in  becoming  a  popular  idol. 

His  wide-awake,  resourceful  brain,  attuned  by  nature  to 
the  difficulties  of  administration,  lent  itself  capably  to 
the  soK'ing  of  many  knotty  financial  puzzles ;  the  min- 


26  TRUXTOX  KING 

istry  was  never  loth  to  call  on  him  for  advice  and  seldom 
disposed  to  disregard  it.  An  outsider,  he  never  offered  a 
suggestion  or  plan  unasked ;  to  this  single  qualification 
he  owed  much  of  the  popularity  and  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held  by  the  classes  and  the  masses.  Socially,  he  was 
a  great  favourite.  He  enjoyed  the  freedom  of  the  most 
exclusive  homes  in  Edelweiss.  He  had  enjo3'cd  the  dis- 
tinction of  more  than  one  informal  visit  to  old  Princess 
Volga  of  Axphain,  just  across  the  border,  to  say  nothing 
of  shooting  expeditions  with  young  Prince  Dantan  of 
Dawsbergen,  whose  American  wife,  formerly  Miss  Cal- 
houn of  Washington,  was  a  friend  of  long  standing. 

John  Tullis  was,  beyond  question,  the  most  conspicuous 
and  the  most  admired  man  in  Edelweiss  in  these  serene 
days  of  mentorship  to  the  adored  Prince  Robin. 

There  was  but  one  man  connected  with  the  government 
to  whom  his  popularity  and  his  influence  proved  dis- 
tasteful. That  man  was  the  Duke  of  Perse.  On  more 
than  one  occasion  the  cabinet  had  chosen  to  be  guided 
by  the  sagacity  of  John  Tullis  in  preference  to  follow- 
ing the  lines  laid  down  by  the  astute  minister  of  finance. 
The  decision  to  offer  the  new  bond  issue  in  London  and 
Paris  was  due  to  the  earnest,  forceful  argument  of  John 
Tullis — outside  the  cabinet  chamber,  to  be  sure.  This 
was  but  one  instance  in  which  the  plan  of  the  treasurer 
was  overridden.  He  resented  the  plain  though  delicate 
influence  of  the  former  Wall  Street  man.  Tullis  had 
nTiade  it  plain  to  the  ministry  that  Graustark  could  not 
afford  to  place  itself  in  debt  to  the  Russians,  into  whose 
hands,  sooner  or  later,  the  destinies  of  the  railroad  might 
be  expected  to  fall.  The  wise  men  of  Graustark  saw  his 
point  without  force  of  argument,  and  voted  down,  in  the 
parliament,  the  Duke's  proposition  to  place  the  loan  in 
St.  Petersburg  and  Berlin.     For  this  particular  act  of 


A  MEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  27 

trespass  upon  the  Duke's  official  preserves  he  won  the 
hatred  of  the  worthy  treasurer  and  his  no  inconsiderable 
following  among  the  deputies. 

But  John  Tullis  was  not  in  Edelweiss  for  the  purpose 
of  meddling  with  state  affairs.  He  was  there  because  he 
elected  to  stand  mentor  to  the  son  of  his  life-long  friend, 
even  though  that  son  was  a  prince  of  the  blood  and  con- 
trolled by  the  will  of  three  regents  chosen  by  his  own 
subjects.  He  was  there  to  watch  over  the  doughty  little 
chap,  who  one  day  would  be  mler  unrestrained,  but  who 
now  was  a  boy  to  be  loved  and  coddled  and  reprimanded 
in  the  general  process  of  man-making. 

To  say  that  the  tiny  Prince  loved  his  big,  adoring 
mentor  would  be  putting  it  too  gently :  he  idolised  him. 
Tullis  was  father,  mother  and  big  brother  to  the  little 
fellow  in  knickers. 

The  American  was  a  big,  broad  shouldered  man,  red- 
dish haired  and  ruddy  cheeked,  with  cool  grey  eyes ;  his 
sandy  mustache  was  closely  cropped  and  turned  up  ever 
so  slightly  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth.  Despite  his 
colouring,  his  face  was  somewhat  sombre — even  stern — 
when  in  repose.  It  was  his  fine,  enveloping  smile  that 
made  friends  for  him  wherever  he  listed,  with  men  and 
with  women.  More  frequently  than  otherwise  it  made 
more  than  friends  of  the  latter. 

One  woman  in  Graustark  was  the  source  of  never-end- 
ing and  constantly  increasing  interest  to  this  stalwart 
companion  to  the  Prince.  That  woman  was,  alas!  th^ 
wife  of  another  man.  Moreover,  she  was  the  daughter 
of  the  Duke  of  Perse. 

The  young  and  witty  Countess  of  Marlanx  came  often 
to  Edelweiss.  She  was  a  favourite  at  the  Castle,  not- 
withstanding the  unhealthy  record  of  her  ancient  and 
discredited  husband,  the  Iron  Count.    Tullis  had  not  seen 


28  TRUXTON  KING 

the  Count,  but  Le  had  heard  such  tales  of  him  that  he 
could  not  but  pity  this  glorious  young  creature  who 
called  him  husband.  There  is  an  old  saying  about  the 
kinship  of  pity.  Not  that  John  Tullis  was  actually  in 
love  with  the  charming  Countess.  He  was,  to  be  per- 
fectl}^  candid,  very  much  interested  in  her  and  very  much 
distressed  by  the  fact  that  she  was  bound  to  a  venerable 
reprobate  who  dared  not  put  his  foot  on  Graustark  soi^ 
because  once  he  had  defiled  it  atrociously. 

But  of  the  Countess  and  her  visits  to  Edelweiss,  more 
anon — with  the  indulgence  of  the  reader. 

At  present  we  are  permitted  to  attend  a  meeting  of 
the  cabinet,  which  sits  occasionally  in  solemn  collective- 
ness  just  off  the  throne  room  within  the  tapestried  walls 
of  a  dark  little  antechamber,  known  to  the  outside  world 
as  the  "Room  of  Wrangles."  It  is  ten  o'clock  of  the 
morning  on  which  the  Prince  is  to  review  the  troops  from 
the  fortress.  The  question  under  discussion  relates  to 
the  loan  of  5,000,000  gavvos,  before  mentioned.  At  the 
head  of  the  long  table,  perched  upon  an  augmentary  pile 
of  law  books  surmounted  by  a  little  red  cushion,  sits  the 
Prince,  almost  lost  in  the  hugh  old  walnut  chair  of  his 
forefathers.  Down  the  table  sit  the  ten  ministers  of  ':he 
departments  of  state,  all  of  them  loving  the  handsome 
little  fellow  on  the  necessary  pile  of  statutes,  but  all  of 
them  more  or  less  indifferent  to  his  significant  yawns  and 
perplexed  frowns. 

The  Prince  was  a  sturdy,  curly-haired  lad,  with  big 
brown  eyes  and  a  lamentably  noticeable  scratch  on  his 
nose — acquired  in  less  stately  but  more  profitable  pur- 
suits. (It  seems  that  he  had  peeled  his  nose  while  sliding 
to  second  base  in  a  certain  American  game  that  he  was 
teaching  the  juvenile  aristocracy  how  to  play.)  His 
Tvavy  hair  was  brown  and  rebellious.     No  end  of  royal 


A  MEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  29 

nursing  could  keep  it  looking  sleek  and  proper.  He  had 
the  merit  of  being  a  very  bad  little  boy  at  times ;  that 
is  why  he  was  loved  by  every  one.  Although  it  was  con- 
sidered next  to  high  treason  to  strike  a  prince  of  the 
royal  blood,  I  could,  if  I  had  the  space,  recount  the  de- 
tails of  numerous  fisticuffs  behind  the  state  stables  in 
which,  sad  to  relate,  the  Prince  just  as  often  as  not  came 
off  with  a  battered  dignity  and  a  chastened  opinion  of 
certain  small  fry  who  could  not  have  been  more  than 
dukes  or  barons  at  best.  But  he  took  his  defeats  man- 
fully: he  did  not  whimper  lese  mnjeste.  John  Tullis, 
his  "Uncle  Jack,"  had  proclaimed  his  scorn  for  a  boy 
who  could  not  "take  his  medicine/'  And  so  Prince  Robin 
took  it  gracefully  because  he  was  prince. 

To-day  he  was — for  him — rather  oppressively  dignified 
and  imperial.  He  may  have  blinked  his  weary  eyes  a 
time  or  two,  but  in  the  main  he  was  very  attentive,  very 
circumspect  and  very  m.uch  puzzled.  Custom  required 
that  the  ruhng  prince  or  princess  should  preside  over 
the  meetings  of  the  cabinet.  It  is  needless  to  obser\-e 
that  the  present  ruler's  duty  ended  when  he  repeated 
(after  Count  Halfont) :  "My  lords,  we  are  now  in  ses- 
sion." The  school-room,  he  confessed,  was  a  "picnic" 
compared  to  the  "Room  of  Wrangles" :  a  fellow  got  a 
recess  once  in  a  while  there,  but  here — well,  the  only 
recess  he  got  was  when  he  fell  asleep.  To-day  he  was 
determined  to  maintain  a  very  dignified  mien.  It  appears 
that  at  the  last  meeting  he  had  created  considerable 
havoc  by  upsetting  the  ink  well  while  trying  to  fill  his 
fountain  pen  without  an  injector.  Moreover,  nearly  half 
a  pint  of  the  fluid  had  splashed  upon  the  Duke  of  Perse's 
trousers — and  they  were  grey,  at  that.  Whereupon  the 
Duke  announced  in  open  conclave  that  His  Highness 
needed  a  ratthng  good  spanking — a  remark  which  dis- 


80  TRUXTON  KING 

tinctly  hurt  the  young  ruler's  pride  and  made  him  wish 
that  there  had  been  enough  ink  to  drown  the  Duke  in- 
stead of  merely  wetting  him. 

About  the  table  sat  the  three  regents  and  the  other 
men  high  in  the  administration  of  affairs,  among  them 
General  Braze  of  the  Army,  Baron  Pultz  of  the  Mines, 
Roslon  of  Agriculture.  The  Duke  of  Perse  was  dis- 
cussing the  great  loan  question.  The  Prince  was  watch- 
ing his  gaunt,  saturnine  face  with  more  than  usual 
interest. 

"Of  course,  it  is  not  too  late  to  rescind  the  order  pro- 
mulgated at  our  last  sitting.  There  are  five  bankers  in 
St.  Petersburg  who  will  finance  the  loan  without  delay. 
We  need  not  delay  the  interminable  length  of  time  neces- 
sary to  secure  the  attention  and  co-operation  of  bankers 
in  France  and  England.  It  is  all  nonsense  to  say  that 
Russia  has  sinister  motives  in  the  matter.  It  is  a  busi- 
ness proposition — not  an  affair  of  state.  We  need  the 
money  before  the  winter  opens.  The  railroad  is  now 
within  fifteen  miles  of  Edelweiss.  The  bridges  and  tun- 
nels are  well  along  toward  completion.  Our  funds  are 
diminishing,  simply  because  we  have  delayed  so  long  in 
preparing  for  this  loan.  There  has  been  too  much  bicker- 
ing and  too  much  inane  politics.  I  still  maintain  that 
we  have  made  a  mistake  in  refusing  to  take  up  the  m.atter 
with  St.  Petersburg  or  Berlin.  Why  should  we  prefer 
England.?     Why  France.?" 

For  some  unaccountable  reason  he  struck  the  table  vio- 
lently with  his  fist  and  directed  his  glare  upon  the  aston- 
ished Prince.  The  explosive  demand  caught  the  ruler 
by  surprise.  lie  gasped  and  his  lips  fell  apart.  Then 
it  must  have  occurred  to  him  that  the  question  could  be 
answered  by  no  one  save  the  person  to  whom  it  was  so 
plainly   addressed.      lie  lifted  his   chin   and   piped  up 


A  :\IEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  31 

shrilly,  and  vrith  a  fervour  that  startled  even  the  intense 
Perse: 

"Because  Uncle  Jack  said  we  should,  that's  wh3\" 

We  have  no  record  of  what  immediately  followed  this 
abrupt  declaration  ;  there  are  some  things  that  never  leak 
out,  no  matter  how  prying  the  chronicler  may  be.  When 
one  stops  to  consider  that  this  was  the  first  time  a  ques-  / 
tion  had  been  put  directly  to  the  Prince — and  one  that 
he  could  understand,  at  that — we  may  be  inclined  to 
overlook  his  reply,  but  we  cannot  answer  for  certain 
members  of  the  cabinet.  Unconsciously,  the  boy  in 
knickers  had  uttered  a  truth  that  no  one  else  had  dared 
to  voice.  John  Tullis  was  the  joint  stepping-stone  and 
stumbling-block  in  the  deliberations  of  the  cabinet. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  innocent  rejoinder 
opened  the  way  to  an  acrid  discussion  of  John  Tullis.  If 
that  gentleman's  ears  burned  in  response  to  the  sarcastic 
comments  of  the  Duke  of  Perse  and  Baron  Pultz,  they 
probably  tingled  pleasantly  as  the  result  of  the  stout 
defence  put  up  by  Halfont,  Dangloss  and  others.  More- 
over, his  most  devoted  friend,  the  Prince,  whose  Hps  were 
sullenly  closed  after  his  unlucky  maiden  effort,  was  find- 
ing it  exceedingly  difficult  to  hold  his  tongue  and  his 
tears  at  the  same  time.  The  lad's  lip  trembled  but  his 
brown  eyes  glowered;  he  sat  abashed  and  heard  the  no 
uncertain  arraignment  of  his  dearest  friend,  feeling  all 
the  while  that  the  manly  thing  for  him  to  do  would  be  to 
go  over  and  kick  the  Duke  of  Perse,  miserably  conscious 
that  such  an  act  was  impossible.  His  httle  body  trembled 
with  childish  rage ;  he  never  took  his  gaze  from  the  face 
of  the  gaunt  traducer.   How  he  hated  the  Duke  of  Perse ! 

The  Duke's  impassioned  plea  was  of  no  avail.  His 
confreres  saw  the  wisdom  of  keeping  Russia's  greedy 
hand  out  of  the  country's  affairs — at  least  for  the  pres- 


S2  TRUXTON  KING 

ent — and  reiterated  their  decision  to  seek  the  loans  in 
England  and  France.  The  question,  therefore,  would 
not  be  taken  to  Parliament  for  reconsideration.  The 
Duke  sat  down,  pale  in  defeat ;  his  heart  was  more  bitter 
than  ever  against  the  shrewd  American  who  had  induced 
all  these  men  to  see  through  his  eyes. 

"I  suppose  there  is  no  use  in  kicking  against  the 
pricks,"  he  said  sourly  as  he  resumed  his  seat.  "I  shall 
send  our  representatives  to  London  and  Paris  next 
month.  I  trust,  my  lords,  that  we  may  have  no  trouble 
in  placing  the  loans  there."  There  was  a  deep  signifi- 
cance in  the  dry  tone  which  he  assumed. 

"I  do  not  apprehend  trouble,"  said  Count  Halfont. 
"Our  credit  is  still  good,  your  Grace.  Russia  is  not  the 
only  country  that  is  ready  to  trust  us  for  a  few  millions. 
Have  no  fear,  your  Grace." 

"It  is  the  delay  that  I  am  apprehensive  of,  your  Excel- 
lency." 

At  this  juncture  the  Prince,  gathering  from  the  manner 
of  his  ministers  that  the  question  was  settled  to  his  hking, 
leaned  forward  and  announced  to  his  uncle,  the  premier : 

"I'm  tired,  Uncle  Caspar.     How  much  longer  is  it?" 

Count  Halfont  coughed.  "Ahem  !  Just  a  few  minutes, 
your  Highness.     Pray  be  patient — er — my  little  man." 

Prince  Bobb}'  flushed.  He  always  knew  that  he  was 
being  patronised  when  any  one  addressed  him  as  "my 
little  man." 

"I  have  an  engagement,"  he  said,  with  a  stiffening  of 
his  back. 

"Indeed.?"  said  the  Duke  dryly. 

"Yes,  your  Grace — a  very  important  one.  Of  course, 
ril  stay  if  I  have  to,  but — what  time  is  it,  Uncle 
Caspar.?" 

"It  is  half  past  eleven,  your  Highness." 


A  IMEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  33 

"Goodness,  I  had  a  date  for  eleven.  I  mean  a  en- 
gagement— an  engagement."  He  glanced  helplessly,  ap- 
pealingly  from  Count  Halfont  to  Baron  Dangloss,  his 
known  allies. 

The  Duke  of  Perse  smiled  grimly.  In  his  most  polite 
manner  he  arose  to  address  the  now  harassed  Princeling, 
who  shifted  uneasily  on  the  pile  of  law  books. 

"May  your  most  humble  subject  presume  to  inquire 
into  the  nature  of  your  Highness's  engagement?" 

"You  may,  your  Grace,"  said  the  Prince. 

The  Duke  waited.  A  smile  crept  into  the  eyes  of  the 
others.     "Well,  what  is  the  engagement.^" 

"I  had  a  date  to  ride  with  Uncle  Jack  at  eleven." 

"And  you  imagine  that  'Uncle  Jack'  will  be  annoyed  if 
he  is  kept  waiting  by  such  a  trivial  matter  as  a  ctibinet 
meeting,  unfortunately  prolonged?" 

"I  don't  know  just  what  that  means,"  murmured  the 
Prince.  Then  his  face  brightened.  "But  I  don't  think 
he'll  be  sore  after  I  tell  him  how  busy  we've  been." 

The  Duke  put  his  hand  over  his  mouth.  "I  don't  think 
he'll  mind  half  an  hour's  wait,  do  you.?" 

"He  likes  me  to  be  very  prompt." 

Count  Halfont  interposed,  good-humouredly.  "There 
is  nothing  more  to  come  before  us  to-day,  3'our  Grace, 
so  I  fancy  we  may  as  well  close  the  meeting.  To  my 
mind,  it  is  rather  a  silly  custom  which  compels  us  to  keep 
the  Prince  with  us — er — after  the  opening  of  the  session. 
Of  course,  your  Highness,  we  don't  mean  to  say  that  you 
are  not  interested  in  our  grave  deliberations." 

Prince  Bobby  broke  in  eagerly :  "Uncle  Jack  says  I've 
just  got  to  be  interested  in  'em,  whether  I  want  to  or  not. 
He  says  it's  the  only  way  to  catch  onto  things  and  be- 
come a  regular  prince.  You  see,  Uncle  Caspar,  I've  got 
a  lot  to  learn." 


34  TRUXTON  KING 

"Yes,  your  Hio^hness,  you  have,"  solemnly  admitted  the 
premier.     "But  I  am  sure  you  icUl  learn." 

"Under  such  an  able  instructor  as  Uncle  Jack  3'ou  may 
soon  know  more  than  the  wisest  man  in  the  realm,"  added 
the  Duke  of  Perse. 

"Thank  you,  your  Grace,"  said  the  Prince,  so  politely 
that  the  Duke  was  confounded ;  "I  know  Uncle  Jack  will 
be  glad  to  hear  that.  He's — he's  afraid  people  may 
think  he's  butting  in  too  much." 

"Butting  in.?"  gasped  the  premier. 

At  this  the  Duke  of  Perse  came  to  his  feet  again,  an 
angry  gleam  in  his  eyes.  "My  lords,"  he  began  hastily, 
"it  must  certainly  have  occurred  to  you  before  this  that 
our  beloved  Prince's  English,  which  seems  after  all  to 
be  his  mother  tongue.  Is  not  what  it  should  be.  Butting 
in !  Yesterday  I  overheard  him  advising  3'our  son, 
Pultz,  to  'go  chase'  himself.  And  when  3'our  boy  tried 
to  chase  himself — 'pon  my  word,  he  did — what  did  our 
Prince  say?    What  did  you  say.  Prince  Robin?" 

"I — I  forget,"  stammered  Prince  Bobby, 

"You  said  'Mice !'    Or  was  It — er " 

"No,  your  Grace.  Rats.  I  remember.  That's  what  I 
said.  That's  what  all  of  us  boys  used  to  say  in  Wash- 
ington." 

"God  deliver  us !  Has  It  come  to  this,  that  a  Prince  of 
Graustark  should  grow  up  vrith  such  language  on  his 
lips?  I  fancy,  my  lords,  you  will  all  agree  that  some- 
thing should  be  done  about  it.  It  is  too  serious  a  matter. 
We  are  all  more  or  less  responsible  to  the  people  he  is  to 
govern.  We  cannot,  in  justice  to  them,  allow  him  to 
continue  under  the — er — influences  that  now  seem  to  sur- 
round him.  He'll — he'll  grow  up  to  be  a  barbarian.  For 
Heaven's  sake,  my  lords,  let  us  consider  the  Prince's  fu- 
ture— let  us  deal  promptly  with  the  situation." 


A  MEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  35 

"What's  he  saying,  Uncle  Caspar?"  whispered  the 
Prince  fiercely. 

"Sh!"  cautioned  Count  Halfont. 

"I  won't  sh!  I  am  the  Prince.  And  I'll  say  *chase 
yourself  whenever  I  please.  It's  good  English.  I'll 
pronounce  it  for  you  in  our  own  language,  so's  you  can 
see  how  it  works  that  way.     It  goes  like " 

"You  need  not  illustrate,  your  Highness,"  the  Premier 
hastened  to  say.  Turning  to  the  Duke,  he  said  coldly : 
"I  acknowledge  the  wisdom  in  your  remarks,  your  Grace, 
but — you  will  pardon  me,  I  am  sure — would  it  not  be 
better  to  discuss  the  conditions  privately  among  ourselves 
before  taking  them  up  officially  ?" 

"That  confounded  American  has  every  one  hypnotised," 
exploded  the  Duke.  "His  influence  over  tliis  boy  is  a 
menace  to  our  country.  He  is  making  on  oaf  of  him — 
a  slangy,  impudent  little " 

"Your  Grace  !"  interrupted  Baron  Dangloss  sharply. 

"'Uncle  Jack's  all  right,"  declared  the  Prince,  vaguely 
realising  that  a  defence  should  be  forthcoming. 

"He  is,  eh.^"  rasped  the  exasperated  Duke,  mopping  his 
brow. 

"He  sure  is,"  pronounced  the  Prince  with  a  finality  that 
left  no  room  for  doubt.  They  say  that  fierce  little  Baron 
Dangloss,  in  striving  to  suppress  a  guffaw,  choked  so 
impressively  that  there  was  a  momentary  doubt  as  to  his 
ever  getting  over  it  alive. 

"He  is  a  mountebank — a  meddler,  that's  what  he  is. 
The  sooner  we  come  to  realise  it,  the  better,"  exclaimed 
the  over-heated  Duke.  "He  has  greater  influence  over 
our  beloved  Prince  than  any  one  else  in  the  royal  house- 
hold. He  has  no  business  here — none  whatsoever.  His 
presence  and  his  meddhng  is  an  afi'ront  to  the  intelligence 
of » 


S6  TRUXTON  KING 

But  the  Prince  had  slid  down  from  his  pile  of  books  and 
planted  himself  beside  him  so  suddenly  that  the  bitter 
words  died  away  on  the  old  man's  lips.  Robin's  face  was 
white  with  rage,  his  little  fists  were  clenched  in  desperate 
anger,  his  voice  was  half  choked  with  the  tears  of  indig- 
nation. 

"You  awful  old  man !"  he  cried,  trembling  all  over,  his 
eyes  blazing.  "Don't  you  say  anything  against  Uncle 
Jack.  I'll — I'll  banish  you — yes,  sir — banish  you  like 
my  mother  fired  Count  Marlanx  out  of  the  country.  I 
won't  let  you  come  back  here  ever — never.  And  before 
you  go  I'll  have  Uncle  Jack  give  you  a  good  licking. 
Oh,  he  can  do  it  all  right.    I — I  hate  you !" 

The  Duke  looked  down  in  amazement  into  the  flushed, 
writhincp  face  of  his  little  master.  For  a  moment  he  was 
stunned  by  the  vigorous  outburst.  Then  the  hard  lines 
in  his  face  relaxed  and  a  softer  expression  came  into  his 
eyes — there  was  something  like  pride  in  them,  too.  The 
Duke,  be  it  said,  was  an  honest  fighter  and  a  loyal  Grau- 
starkian ;  he  loved  his  Prince  and,  therefore,  he  gloried 
in  his  courage.  His  own  smile  of  amusement,  wliich 
broke  in  spite  of  his  inordinate  vanity,  was  the  sign  that 
brought  relief  to  the  hearts  of  his  scandalised  confreres. 

"Your  Highness  does  well  in  defending  a  friend  and 
counsellor,"  he  said  gently.  "I  am  sorry  to  have  for- 
gotten myself  in  your  presence.  It  shall  not  occur  again. 
Pray  forgive  me." 

Prince  Bobby  was  still  unappcased.  "I  could  have  you 
beheaded,"  he  said  stubbornly.  "Couldn't  I,  Uncle 
Caspar?" 

Count  Ilalfont  gravely  informed  him  that  it  was  not 
customary  to  behead  gentlemen  except  for  the  most 
heinous  offences  against  tlie  Crown. 

The  Duke  of  Perse  suddenly  bent  forward  and  placed 


A  :\IEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  37 

his  bony  hand  upon  the  unshrinking  shoulder  of  the 
Prince,  his  eyes  gleaming  kindly,  his  voice  strangely  free 
from  its  usual  harshness.  "You  are  a  splendid  little 
man,  Prince  Robin,"  he  said.  "I  glory  in  you.  I  shall  not 
forget  the  lesson  in  loyalty  that  you  have  taught  me." 

Bobby's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  The  genuine  humihty  of 
the  hard  old  man  touched  his  tempestuous  little  heart. 

"It's — it's  all  right,  Du — your  Grace.  I'm  sorry  I 
spoke  that  way,  too." 

Baron  Dangloss  twisted  his  imperial  vigorously.  "My 
lards,  I  suggest  that  we  adjourn.  The  Prince  must  have 
his  ride  and  return  in  time  for  the  review  at  one  o'clock." 

As  the  Prince  strode  soberly  from  the  Room  of  Wran- 
gles, every  eye  was  upon  his  sturdy  little  back  and  there 
was  a  kindly  light  in  each  of  them,  bar  none.  The  Duke, 
following  close  behind  with  Half ont,  said  quietly : 

"I  love  him,  Caspar.  But  1  nave  no  love  for  the  man 
he  loves  so  much  better  than  he  loves  any  of  us.  Tuliis 
is  a  meddler — but,  for  Heaven's  sake,  my  friend,  don't 
let  Bobby  know  that  I  have  repeated  myself." 

Later  on,  the  Prince  in  his  khaki  riding  suit  loped  gaily 
down  the  broad  mountain  road  toward  Ganlcok,  beside  the 
black  mare  which  carried  John  Tuliis.  Behind  them  rode 
three  picked  troopers  from  the  House  Guard.  He  had 
told  Tuliis  of  his  vainglorious  defence  in  the  ante- 
chamber. 

"And  I  told  him,  Uncle  Jack,  that  you  could  lick  him. 
You.  can,  can't  you.''" 

The  American's  face  was  clouded  for  a  second ;  then,  to 
please  the  boy,  a  warm  smile  succeeded  the  frown. 
"Why,  Bobby,  you  dear  little  beggar,  he  could  thresh  me 
with  one  hand." 

"What.'"  almost  shrieked  Prince  Bobby,  utterly  di^ 
mayed. 


38  TRUXTON  KING 

"He's  a  better  swordsman  than  I,  don't  you  see.  Gen- 
tlemen over  here  fight  with  swords.  I  know  nothing  about 
duelling.     He'd  get  at  me  in  two  thrusts." 

"I — I  think  you'd  better  take  some  lessons  from  Colonel 
Quinnox.     It  won't  do  to  be  caught  napping." 

"I  daresay  you're  right." 

"Say,  Uncle  Jack,  when  are  3'ou  going  to  take  me  to^ 
the  witch's  hovel.?"  The  new  thought  abruptly  banished" 
all  else  from  his  eager  little  brain. 

"Some  day,  soon,"  said  Tullis.  "You  see,  I'm  not  sure 
that  she's  receiving  visitors  these  days.  A  witch  is  a 
very  arbitrary  person.  Even  princes  have  to  send  up 
their  cards." 

"Let's  telegraph  her,"  in  an  inspired  tone. 

"I'll  arrange  to  go  up  with  you  very  soon,  Bobby.  It's 
a  hard  ride  through  the  pass  and — and  there  may  be  a 
lot  of  goblins  up  there  where  the  old  woman  keeps  her- 
self." 

The  witch's  hovel  was  in  the  mountain  across  the  most 
rugged  of  the  can3'ons,  and  was  to  be  reached  only  after 
the  most  hazardous  of  rides.  The  old  woman  of  the 
hills  was  an  ancient  character  about  whom  clung  a  thou- 
sand spookish  traditions,  but  who,  in  the  opinion  of  John 
Tullis,  was  nothing  more  than  a  wise  fortune-teller  and 
necromancer  who  knew  every  trick  in  the  trade  of  hood- 
winking the  superstitious.  He  had  seen  her  and  he  had 
been  properly  impressed.  Somehow,  he  did  not  like  the 
thought  of  taking  the  Prince  to  the  cabin  among  the 
mists  and  crags. 

"They  say  she  eats  boys,  now  and  then,"  he  added,  as 
if  suddenly  remembering  it. 

"Gee!  Do  you  suppose  we  could  get  there  some  day 
when  she's  eating  one?" 

As  they  rode  back  to  the  Castle  after  an  hour,  coming 


A  MEETING  OF  THE  CABINET  39* 

down  through  Castle  Avenue  from  the  monastery  road, 
they  passed  a  tall,  bronzed  young  man  whom  Tullis  at 
once  knew  to  be  an  American.  He  was  seated  on  a  big 
boulder  at  the  roadside,  enjoying  the  shade,  and  was 
evidenth^  on  his  way  by  foot  to  the  Castle  gates  to  watch 
the  heau  monde  assembling  for  the  review.  At  his  side 
was  the  fussy,  well-known  figure  of  Cook's  interpreter, 
eagerly  pointing  out  certain  important  personages  to 
him  as  they  passed.  Of  course,  the  approach  of  the 
Prince  was  the  excuse  for  considerable  agitation  and 
fervour  on  the  part  of  the  man  from  Cook's.  He 
mounted  the  boulder  and  took  off  his  cap  to  wave  it 
frantically. 

"It's  the  Prince!"  he  called  out  to  Truxton  King. 
"Stand  up !    Hurray  !    Long  hve  the  Prince  1" 

Tullis  had  already  lifted  his  hand  in  salute  to  his 
countryman,  and  both  had  smiled  the  free,  easy  smile  of 
men  who  know  each  other  by  instinct. 

The  man  from  Cook's  came  to  grief.  He  slipped  from 
his  perch  on  the  rock  and  came  floundering  to  the  ground 
below,  considerably  crushed  in  dignity,  but  quite  intact 
in  other  respects. 

The  spirited  pony  that  the  Prince  was  riding  shied  and 
reared  in  quick  affright.  The  boy  dropped  his  crop  and 
clung  valiantly  to  the  reins.  A  guardsman  was  at  the 
pony's  head  in  an  instant,  and  there  was  no  possible 
chance  for  disaster. 

Truxton  King  unbent  his  long  frame,  picked  up  the 
riding  crop  with  a  deliberateness  that  astonished  the  man 
from  Cook's,  strode  out  into  the  roadway  and  handed  it 
up  to  the  boy  in  the  saddle. 

"Thank  you,"  said  Prince  Bobby. 

"Don't  mention  it,"  said  Truxton  King  with  his  most 
engaging  smile.    "No  trouble  at  all." 


CHAPTER   III 

MANY  PERSONS  IN   KEVIEW 

Truxton  King  witnessed  the  review  of  the  garrison. 
That  in  itself  was  rather  a  tame  exhibition  for  a  man 
who  liad  seen  the  finest  troops  in  all  the  world.  A  thou- 
sand earnest  looking  soldiers,  proud  of  the  opportunity 
to  march  before  the  little  Prince — and  that  was  all,  so 
far  as  the  review  was  concerned. 

But,  alluringly  provident  to  the  welfare  of  this  narra- 
tive, the  red  and  black  uniformed  soldiers  were  not  the 
only  persons  on  review  that  balmy  day  in  July.  Trux- 
ton King  had  his  first  glimpse  of  the  nobility  of  Grau- 
stark.  He  changed  his  mind  about  going  to  Vienna  on 
the  Saturda}^  express.  A  goodly  number  of  men  before 
him  had  altered  their  humble  plans  for  the  same  reason, 
I  am  reliably  informed. 

]\Ir.  King  saw  the  court  in  all  its  glory,  scattered  along 
the  shady  Castle  Avenue — in  carriages,  in  traps,  in 
motors  and  in  the  saddle.  His  brain  whirled  and  his 
heart  leaped  under  the  pressure  of  a  new-found  interest 
in  life.  The  unexpected  oasis  loomed  up  before  his  eyes 
just  as  he  was  abandoning  all  hope  in  the  unprofitable 
desert  of  Romance.  He  saw  green  trees  and  sparkling 
rivulets,  and  he  sighed  with  a  new,  strange  content.  No, 
on  second  thoughts,  he  would  not  go  to  Vienna.  He 
would  stay  in  Edelweiss.  He  was  a  disciple  of  iMicawber; 
and  he  was  so  much  younger  and  fresher  than  that  dis- 
tinguished gentleman,  that  perhaps  he  was  justified  in 
believing  that,  in  his  case,  something  was  bound  to  "turn 
up." 

If  Truxton  King  had  given  up  in  disgust  and  fled  to 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  41 

Vienna,  this  tale  would  never  have  come  to  light.  In- 
stead of  being  the  lively  narrative  of  a  young  gentle- 
man's adventures  in  far-away  Graustark,  it  might  have 
become  a  tale  of  the  smart  set  in  New  York — for,  as  you 
know,  we  are  bound  by  tradition  to  follow  the  trail  laid 
down  b}'  our  hero,  no  matter  which  way  he  elects  to  fare. 

Somewhat  dismayed  by  his  narrow  escape,  he  confided 
to  his  friend  from  Cook's  that  he  could  never  have  for- 
given himself  if  he  had  adhered  to  his  resolution  to  leave 
on  the  followincr  day. 

"I  didn't  know  you'd  changed  your  mind,  sir,"  re- 
marked Mr.  Hobbs  in  surprise. 

"Of  course  you  didn't  know  it,"  said  Truxton.  "How 
could  you?  I've  just  changed  it,  this  instant.  I  didn't 
know  it  myself  two  minutes  ago.  No,  sir,  Hobbs — or  is  it 
Dobbs?  Thanks — no,  sir,  I'm  going  to  stop  here  for 
a — well,  a  week  or  two.  V^^here  the  dickens  do  these  peo- 
ple keep  themselves.'^    I  haven't  seen  'em  before." 

"Oh,  they  are  the  nobility — the  swells.  They  don't 
hang  around  the  streets  like  tourists  and  rubbernecks, 
sir,"  in  plain  disgust. 

"I  thought  you  were  an  Englishman,"  observed  King, 
with  a  quizzical  smile. 

"I  am,  sir.  I  can't  help  saying  rubbernecks,  sir,  though 
it's  a  shocking  word.  It's  the  only  name  for  them,  sir. 
That's  what  the  little  Prince  calls  them,  too.  You  see, 
it's  one  form  of  amusement  they  provide  for  him,  and  I 
am  supposed  to  help  it  along  as  much  as  possible.  Mr. 
Tullis  takes  him  out  in  the  avenue  whenever  I've  got  a 
part}'  in  hand.  I  telephone  up  to  the  Castle  that  I've 
got  a  crowd  and  then  I  drive  'em  out  to  the  Park  here. 
The  Prince  says  he  just  loves  to  watch  the  rubbernecks 
go  by.  It's  great  fun,  sir,  for  the  little  lad.  He  never 
misses  a  party,  and  you  can  believe  it  or  not,  he  has 


42  TRUXTON  KING 

told  me  so  himself.  Yes,  sir,  the  Prince  has  had  more 
than  one  word  with  me — from  time  to  time."  King 
looked  at  the  little  man's  reddish  face  and  saw  therein 
the  signs  of  exaltation  indigenous  to  a  land  imperial. 

He  hesitated  for  an  instant  and  then  remarked,  with  a 
mean  impulse  to  spoil  Hobbs's  glorification :  "I  have 
dined  with  the  President  of  the  United  States." 

Hobbs  was  politely  unimpressed.  "Pve  no  doubt,  sir," 
he  said.    "I  daresay  it  was  an  excellent  dinner." 

King  blinked  his  ej'es  and  then  turned  them  upon  the 
passing  show.  He  was  coming  to  understand  the  real 
difference  between  men. 

"I  say,  who  is  that  just  passing — the  lady  in  the  vic- 
toria.''" he  asked  abruptly. 

"That  is  the  Countess  Marlanx." 

"Whew !    I  thought  she  was  the  queen  !" 

Hobbs  went  into  details  concerning  the  beautiful 
Countess.  During  the  hour  and  a  half  of  display  he 
pointed  out  to  King  all  of  the  great  personages,  giving 
a  Baedeker-like  account  of  their  doings  from  childhood 
up,  quite  satisfying  that  gentleman's  curiosity  and  in- 
volving his  cupidity  at  the  same  time. 

When,  at  last,  the  show  was  over,  Truxton  and  the 
voluble  little  interpreter,  whom  he  had  employed  for 
the  occasion,  strolled  leisurely  back  to  the  heart  of  the 
town.  Something  had  come  over  King,  changing  the 
quaint  old  city  from  a  prosaic  collection  of  shops  and 
thoroughfares  into  a  veritable  playground  for  Cinder- 
ellas  and  Prince  Charmings.  The  women,  to  his  startled 
imagination,  had  been  suddenly  transformed  from  lacka- 
daisical drudges  into  radiant  personages  at  whose  feet 
it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  fall,  in  whose  defence  it  would  be 
divine  to  serve ;  the  men  were  the  cavaliers  that  had  called 
to  him  from  the  pap-es  of  chivalrous  tales,  ever  since  the 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  43 

days  of  his  childhood.  Here  were  knights  and  ladies 
such  as  he  had  dreamed  of  and  despaired  of  ever  seeing 
outside  his  dreams. 

Hobbs  was  telling  him  how  every  one  struggled  to  pro- 
vide amusement  for  the  little  Prince  at  whose  court  these 
almost  mythological  beings  bent  the  knee.  "Every  few 
days  they  have  a  royal  troupe  of  acrobats  in  the  Castle 
grounds.  Next  week  Tantora's  big  circus  is  to  give  a 
private  performance  for  him.  There  are  Marionettes 
and  Punch  and  Judy  shows,  and  all  the  doings  of  the 
Grand  Grignol  are  beautifully  imitated.  The  royal  band 
plays  every  afternoon,  and  at  night  some  one  tells  him 
stories  of  the  valorous  men  who  occupied  the  throne  be- 
fore him.  He  rides,  plays  baseball  and  cricket,  swims, 
goes  shooting — and,  you  may  take  it  from  me,  sir,  he 
is  already  enjoj^ng  fencing  lessons  with  Colonel  Quinnox, 
chief  of  the  Castle  guard.  Mr.  Tullis,  the  American,  has 
charge  of  his — you  might  say,  his  education  and  enter- 
tainment. They  want  to  make  of  him  a  very  wonderful 
Prince.  So  they  are  starting  at  the  bottom.  He's  quite 
a  wonderful  little  chap.     What  say,  sir.^" 

"I  was  just  going  to  ask  if  you  know  anything  about  a 
young  woman  who  occasionally  tends  shop  for  William 
Spantz,  the  armourer." 

Hobbs  looked  interested.  "She's  quite  a  beauty,  sir,  I 
give  you  my  word." 

"I  know  that,  Hobbs.     But  who  is  she?" 

"I  really  can't  say,  sir.  She's  his  niece,  I've  heard. 
Been  here  a  httle  over  a  month.  I  think  she's  from 
Warsaw." 

"Well,  I'll  say  good-bye  here.  If  you've  nothing  on 
for  to-morrow  we'll  visit  the  Castle  grounds  and — ahem ! 
— take  a  look  about  the  place.  Come  to  the  hotel  early. 
I'm  going  over  to  the  gun-shop.      So  long!"     As  he^ 


44  TRUXTON  KING 

crossed  the  square,  his  mind  full  of  the  beautiful  women 
he  had  seen,  he  was  saying  to  himself  in  a  wild  strain  of 
exhilaration :  "I'll  bet  my  head  that  girl  isn't  the  nobody 
she's  setting  herself  up  to  be.  She  looks  like  these  I've 
just  seen.  She's  got  the  marks  of  a  lady.  You  can't 
fool  me.  I'm  going  to  find  out  who  she  is  and — well, 
maybe  it  won't  be  so  dull  here,  after  all.  It  looks  better 
every  minute." 

He  was  whistling  gaily  as  he  entered  the  little  shop, 
ready  to  give  a  cheery  greeting  to  old  Spantz  and  to 
make  him  a  temporising  offer  for  the  broadsword.  But 
it  was  not  Spantz  who  stood  behind  the  little  counter. 
Truxton  flushed  hotly  and  jerked  off  his  hat.  The  girl 
smiled. 

"I  beg  pardon,"  he  exclaimed.  "I — I'm  looking  for 
Mr.  Spantz— I " 

"He  is  out.  Will  you  wait?  He  will  return  in  a  very 
few  minutes."  Her  voice  was  clear  and  low,  her  accent 
charming.  The  smile  in  her  eyes  somehow  struck  him  as 
sad,  even  fleeting  in  its  attempt  at  mirth.  As  she  spoke, 
it  disappeared  altogether  and  an  almost  sombre  expres- 
sion came  into  her  face. 

"Thanks.  I'll — ^wait,"  he  said,  suddenly  embarrassed. 
She  turned  to  the  window,  resuming  the  wistful,  preoccu- 
pied gaze  down  the  avenue.  He  made  pretence  of  in- 
specting the  wares  on  the  opposite  wall,  but  covertly 
watched  her  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye.  Perhaps,  cal- 
culated he,  if  she  were  attired  in  the  gown  of  one  of  those 
fashionables  she  might  rank  with  the  noblest  of  them  in 
beauty  and  delicacy.  Her  dark  little  head  was  carried 
with  all  the  serene  pride  of  a  lady  of  quality ;  her  fea- 
tures were  clear  cut,  mobile,  and  absolutely  flawless.  He 
was  sure  of  that:  his  sly  analysis  was  not  as  casual  as 
one  might  suppose  under  the  circumstances.     As  a  ma*^ 


MAXY  PERSONS  IX  REVIEW  45 

ter  of  fact,  he  found  himself  having  what  he  afterward 
called  "a  very  good  look  at  her."  She  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  his  presence.  The  longer  he  looked  at  the 
delicate  profile,  the  more  fully  was  he  convinced  that  she 
was  not  all  that  she  pretended.  He  experienced  a  thrill 
of  hope.  If  she  wasn't  what  she  pretended  to  be,  then 
surely  she  must  be  what  he  wanted  her  to  be — a  lady  of . 
quality.  In  that  case  there  was  a  mystery.  The  thought' 
restored  his  temerity. 

"Beg  pardon,"  he  said,  politely  sauntering  up  to  the 
little  counter.  He  noted  that  she  was  taller  than  he  had 
thoucpht,  and  slender.  She  started  and  turned  toward 
him  with  a  quick,  diffident  smile,  her  dark  eyes  filling 
with  an  unspoken  apology.  "I  wanted  to  have  another 
look  at  the  broadsword  there.  May  I  get  it  out  of  the 
window,  or  will  you?" 

Very  quickly — he  noticed  that  she  went  about  it  clumsily 
despite  her  supple  gracefulness — she  withdrew  the  heavy 
weapon  from  the  window  and  laid  it  upon  the  counter. 
He  was  looking  at  her  with  a  peculiar  smile  upon  his  Hps. 
She  flushed  painfully. 

"I  am  not — not  what  you  would  call  an  expert,"  she 
said  frankly. 

"You  mean  in  handling  broadswords,"  he  said  in  his 
most  suave  manner.  "It's  a  cunning  Httle  thing,  isn't 
it  ?"  He  picked  up  the  ponderous  blade.  "I  don't  won- 
der you  nearly  dropped  it  on  your  toes." 

"There  must  have  been  giants  in  those  days,"  she  said,^ 
a  slight  shudder  passing  over  her. 

"Whoppers,"  he  agreed  eagerly.  "I've  thought  some- 
what of  buying  the  old  thing.  Not  to  use,  of  course,- 
I'm  not  a  giant." 

"You're  not  a  pigmy,"  she  supplemented,  her  eyes 
sweeping  his  long  figure  comprehensively. 


46  TRUXTON  KING 

"What's  the  price?"  he  asked,  his  courage  faltering 
under  the  cool,  impersonal  gaze. 

"I  do  not  know.     My  uncle  has  told  3^ou?" 

"I — I  think  he  did.  But  I've  got  a  wretched  memory 
when  it  comes  to  broadswords." 

She  laughed.  "Tliis  is  such  a  very  old  broadsword, 
too,"  she  said.  "It  goes  back  beyond  the  memory  of 
/man." 

"How  does  it  come  that  you  don't  know  the  price?"  he 
asked,  watching  her  narrowly.  She  met  his  inquiring 
look  with  perfect  composure. 

"I  am  quite  new  at  the  trade.  I  hope  you  will  excuse 
my  ignorance.  My  uncle  will  be  here  in  a  moment."  She 
was  turning  away  with  an  air  that  convinced  King  of 
one  thing:  she  was  a  person  who,  in  no  sense,  had  ever 
been  called  upon  to  serve  others. 

"So  I've  heard,"  he  observed.  The  bait  took  effect. 
She  looked  up  quickly ;  he  was  confident  that  a  startled 
expression  flitted  across  her  face. 

"You  have  heard?  What  have  you  heard  of  me?"  she 
demanded. 

"That  you  are  new  at  the  business,"  he  rephed  coolly. 
"You  are  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  so  they  say." 

"You  have  been  making  inquiries?"  she  asked,  disdain 
succeeding  dismay. 

"Tentatively,  that's  all.  Ever  since  you  peeked  out  of 
the  window  up  there  and  laughed  at  me.  I'm  curious, 
you  see." 

She  stared  at  him  in  silent  intensity  for  a  moment. 
"That's  why  I  laughed  at  you.    You  were  very  curious." 

"Am  I  so  bad  as  all  that?"  he  lamented. 

She  ignored  the  question.  "Why  should  you  be  inter- 
ested in  me,  sir?" 

Mr.  King  was  inspired  to  fabricate  in  the  interest  of 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  47 

psychical  research.  "Because  I  have  heard  that  you  are 
not  the  niece  of  old  man  Spantz."  He  watched  intently 
to  catch  the  effect  of  the  declaration. 

She  merely  stared  at  him;  there  was  not  so  much  as 
the  flutter  of  an  eyelid.  "You  have  heard  nothing  of 
the  kind,"  she  said  coldly. 

"Well,  I'll  confess  I  haven't,"  he  admitted  cheerfully. 
"I  was  experimenting.  I'm  an  amateur  Sherlock  Holmes. 
It  pleases  me  to  deduce  that  you  are  not  related  to  the 
armourer.     You  don't  look  the  part." 

Now  she  smiled  divinely.  "And  why  not,  pray.^  His 
sister  was  my  mother." 

"In  order  to  establish  a  line  on  which  to  base  my  cal- 
culations, would  you  mind  telling  me  who  your  father 
is?"  He  asked  the  question  with  his  most  appealing 
smile — a  smile  so  frankly  impudent  that  she  could  not 
resent  it. 

"My  mother's  husband,"  she  replied  in  the  same  spirit. 

"Well,  that  is  quite  a  clue !"  he  exclaimed.  "  'Pon  my 
soul,  I  beheve  I'm  on  the  right  track.  Excuse  me  for 
continuing,  but  is  he  a  count  or  a  duke  or  just  a " 

"My  father  is  dead,"  she  interrupted,  without  taking 
her  now  serious  gaze  from  his  face. 

^'I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said  at  once.  "I'm  sorry  if 
I've  hurt  you." 

"My  mother  is  dead.  Now  can  you  understand  why  I 
am  living  here  with  my  uncle?  Even  an  amateur  may 
rise  to  that.  Now,  sir,  do  you  expect  to  purchase  the 
sword?    If  not,  I  shall  replace  it  in  the  window." 

"That's  what  I  came  here  for,"  said  he,  resenting  her 
tone  and  the  icy  look  she  gave  him. 

"I  gathered  that  you  came  in  the  capacity  of  Sherlock 
Holmes — or  something  else."  She  added  the  last  tiiree 
words  with  unmistakable  meaning. 


*48  TRUXTOX  KING 

"You  mean  as  a — "  he  hesitated,  flushing. 

"You  knew  I  was  alone,  sir." 

"By  Jove,  you're  wrong  there.  I  give  you  my  word, 
I  didn't.  If  I'd  known  it,  I'd  surely  have  come  in  sooner. 
There,  forgive  me.  I'm  particularly  light-headed  and 
futile  to-day,  and  I  hope —     Beg  pardon?" 

She  was  leaning  toward  him,  her  hands  on  the  counter, 
a  peculiar  gleam  in  her  dark  eyes — which  now,  for  the 
first  time,  struck  him  as  rather  more  keen  and  penetrat- 
ing than  he  had  suspected  before. 

"I  simply  want  to  tell  you,  Mr.  King,  that  unless  you 
really  expect  to  buy  this  sword  it  is  not  wise  in  you  to 
make  it  an  excuse  for  coming  here." 

"My  dear  3'oung  lady,  I " 

"My  uncle  has  a  queer  conception  of  the  proprieties. 
He  may  think  that  3^ou  come  to  see  me."  A  radiant  smile 
leaped  into  her  face,  transforming  its  strange  sombreness 
into  absolutely  impish  mirth. 

"Well,  hang  it  all,  he  can't  object  to  that,  can  he? 
Besides,  I  never  buy  without  haggling,"  he  expostulated, 
suddenly  exhilarated,  he  knew  not  why. 

"Don't  come  in  here  unless  you  expect  to  buy,"  she 
said,  serious  in  an  instant.  "It  isn't  the  custom  in  Edel- 
weiss. Young  men  may  chat  with  shopgirls  all  the  world 
over — but  in  Edelweiss,  no — unless  they  come  to  pay 
most  honourable  court  to  them.  My  uncle  would  not 
understand." 

"I  take  it,  however,  that  you  would  understand,"  he 
said  boldly. 

"I  have  lived  in  Vienna,  in  Paris  and  in  London.  But 
now  I  am  living  in  Edelweiss.  I  have  not  been  a  shop- 
girl always." 

"I  can  believe  that.     My  deductions  are  justified." 

"Pray  forgive  me  for  offering  this  bit  of  advice.     A 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  49 

word  to  the  wise.    My  uncle  would  close  the  door  in  your 
face  if — if  he  thought " 

"I  see.  Well,  I'll  buy  the  blooming  sword.  Anyhow, 
that's  what  I  came  in  for." 

"No.     You  came  in  because  I  smiled  at  3.0U  from  the 
window  upstairs.     It  is  my  sitting-room." 
^    "Why  did  you  smile?     Tell  me.''"  eagerly. 

"It  was  nature  asserting  itself." 

"You  mean  3'ou  just  couldn't  help  it.''" 

"That's  precisely  what  I  mean." 

"Not  very  complimentary,  I'd  say." 

"A  smile  is  ever  a  compliment,  sir." 

"I  say,  do  you  knew  you  interest  me.'^"  he  began 
warml}'',  but  she  put  her  finger  to  her  lips. 

"My  uncle  is  returning.  I  must  not  talk  to  you  any 
longer."  She  glanced  uneasil}^  out  upon  the  square,  and 
then  hurriedly  added,  a  certain  wist  fulness  in  her  voice 
and  eyes.  "I  couldn't  help  it  to-day.  I  forgot  my 
place.  But  you  are  the  first  gentleman  I've  spoken  to 
since  I  came  here." 

"I — I  was  afraid  you  might  think  I  am  not  a  gentle- 
man.    I've  been  rather  fresh." 

"I  happen  to  have  known  many  gentlemen.  Before  I 
went  into — service,  of  course."  She  turned  away  ab- 
ruptly, a  sudden  shadow  crossing  her  face.  Truxton 
King  exulted.  At  last  he  was  touching  the  long-sought 
trail  of  the  Golden  Girl!  Here  was  Romance!  Here 
was  myster^M 

Spantz  was  cro9#5ing  the  sidewalk.  The  American 
leaned  f  orwar'i  and  half -whispered :  "Just  watch  me  buy 
that  broadsword.  I  may,  in  time,  buy  out  the  shop, 
piece  by  piece." 

iShe  smiled  swiftly.  "Let  me  warn  you :  don't  pay  his 
■price." 


60  TRUXTON  KING 

"Thanks." 

When  Spantz  entered  the  door,  a  moment  later,  the 
girl  was  gazing  listlessly  from  the  window  and  Truxton 
King  was  leaning  against  the  counter  with  his  back 
toward  her,  his  arms  folded  and  a  most  impatient  frown 
on  his  face. 

"Hello !''  he  said  gruffly.  "I've  been  waiting  ten  min- 
utes for  3'ou." 

Sp&ntz's  black  e3'es  shot  from  one  to  the  other.  "What 
do  you  want?"  he  demanded  sharply.  As  he  dropped  his 
hat  upon  a  stool  near  the  door,  his  glance  again  darted 
from  the  man  to  the  girl  and  back  again. 

"The  broadsword.  And,  say,  Mr.  Spantz,  3'ou  might 
assume  a  different  tone  in  addressing  me.  I'm  a  cus- 
tomer, not  a  beggar." 

The  girl  left  the  window  and  walked  slowly  to  the  rear 
of  the  shop,  passing  through  the  narrow  door,  without 
so  much  as  a  glance  at  King  or  the  old  man.  Spantz  was 
silent  until  she  was  gone. 

"You  want  the  broadsword,  eh?"  he  asked,  moderating 
*iiis  tone  considerably.     "It's  a  rare  old " 

"I'll  give  3'ou  a  hundred  dollars — not  another  cent," 
interrupted  King,  not  yet  over  his  resentment.  There 
followed  a  long  and  irritating  argument,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  which  ]\Ir.  King  became  the  possessor  of  the 
weapon  at  his  own  price.  Remembering  himself  in  time, 
he  fell  to  admiring  some  old  rings  and  bracelets  in  a 
cabinet  near  by,  thus  paving  the  way  for  future  visits, 

"I'll  come  in  again,"  he  said  indifferently. 

"But  3'ou  are  leaving  to-morrow,  sir." 

"I've  cliangcd  my  mind." 

"You  are  not  going?" 

"Not  for  a  few  days." 

"Then  you  have  discovered  something  in  Edelweiss  to 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  61 

attract  you?"  grinned  the  old  armourer.     "I  thought 
you  might." 

"I've  had  a  ghmpse  of  the  swells,  my  good  friend." 

"It's  all  the  good  you'll  get  of  it,"  said  Spantz  gruffly? 

"I  daresay  you're  right.  Clean  that  sword  up  a  bit  for 
me,  and  I'll  drop  in  to-morrow  and  get  it.  Here's  sixty 
gavvos  to  bind  the  bargain.  The  rest  on  delivery. 
Good  day,  Mr.  Spantz." 

"Good  day,  Mr.  King." 

"How  do  you  happen  to  know  my  name?" 

Spantz  put  his  hand  over  his  heart  and  delivered  him- 
self of  a  most  impressive  bow.  "When  so  distinguished 
a  visitor  comes  to  our  httle  city,"  he  said,  "we  lose  no 
time  in  discovering  liis  name.  It  is  a  part  of  our  trade, 
sir,  believe  me." 

"I'm  not  so  sure  that  I  do  believe  you,"  said  Truxton 
King  to  himself  as  he  sauntered  up  the  street  toward  the 
Hotel.  "The  girl  knew  me,  too,  now  that  I  come  to 
think  of  it.  Heigho !  By  Jove,  I  do  hope  I  can  work 
up  a  little  something  to  interest — Hello !" 

^Ir.  Hobbs,  from  Cook's,  was  at  his  elbow,  his  eyes 
glistening  with  eagerness. 

"I  say,  old  Dangloss  is  waiting  for  you  at  the  Regen- 
getz,  sir.    Wot's  up?    Wot  3^ou  been  up  to,  sir?" 

"Up  to?     Up  to,  Hobbs?" 

"My  word,  sir,  you  must  have  been  or  he  wouldn't  be 
there  to  see  you." 

"Who  is  Dangloss?" 

"Minister  of  Pohce — haven't  I  told  you?  He's  a  keen 
one,  too,  take  my  word  for  it.  He's  got  Sherlock  beat  a 
mile." 

"So  have  I,  Hobbs.  I'm  not  slow  at  Sherlocking,  let 
me  tell  you  that.  How  do  you  know  he's  waiting  to  see 
me.?" 


52  TRUXTON  KING 

"I  heard  him  ask  for  you.  And  I  was  there  just  now 
when  one  of  his  men  came  in  and  told  him  3'ou  were  on 
your  way  up  from  the  gunshop  down  there." 

"So  they're  watching  me,  eh?     'Gad,  this  is  fine!" 

He  lost  iio  time  in  getting  to  the  hotel.  A  well-re^ 
membered,  fierce-looking  little  man  in  a  white  linen  suit 
was  waiting  for  him  on  the  great  piazza. 

Baron  Jasto  Dangloss  was  a  polite  man  but  not  to  the 
point  of  procrastination.  He  advanced  to  meet  the 
puzzled  American,  smiling  amiably  and  twirling  his  im- 
posing mustachios  with  neatl}'  gloved  fingers. 

"I  have  called,  Mr.  King,  to  have  a  little  chat  with  you 
about  your  father,"  he  said  abruptly.  He  enjoyed  the 
look  of  surprise  on  the  j'oung  man's  face. 

"My  father.^"  murmured  Truxton,  catching  his  breath. 
He  was  shaking  hands  with  the  Baron,  all  the  while 
staring  blankly  into  his  twinkling,  snapping  eyes. 

"Won't  you  join  me  at  this  table?  A  julep  will  not 
be  bad,  eh?"  King  sat  down  opposite  to  him  at  one  of 
the  piazza  tables,  in  the  shade  of  the  great  traihng  vines. 

"Fine,"  was  his  only  comment. 

A  waiter  took  the  order  and  departed.  The  Baron  pro- 
duced his  cigarette  case.  King  carefull}"  selected  one 
and  tapped  its  tip  on  the  back  of  his  hand. 

"Is — has  anything  happened  to  my  father?"  he  asked 
quietly.     "Bad  news?" 

"On  the  contrary,  sir,  he  is  quite  well.  I  had  a  cable- 
gram from  him  to-day." 

"A  cablegram?" 

"Yes.  I  cabled  day  before  yesterday  to  ask  if  he  could 
tell  me  the  whereabouts  of  his  son." 

"The  deuce  you  say !" 

"He  replies  that  you  are  in  Teheran." 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  Baron?" 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  55 

"It  is  a  habit  I  have.  I  make  it  a  practice  to  keep  in 
touch  with  the  movements  of  our  guests." 

"I  see.  You  want  to  know  all  about  me ;  why  I'm  here, 
where  I  came  from,  and  all  that.  Well,  I'm  ready  for 
the  'sweat  box.'  " 

"Pray  do  not  take  offence.  It  is  my  rule.  It  would  not 
be  altered  if  the  King  of  England  came.  Ah,  here  are 
the  juleps.     Quick  service,  eh?'' 

"Remarkably  so,  due  to  your  powers  of  persuasion,  I 
fancy." 

"I  really  ordered  them  a  few  minutes  before  you 
arrived.  You  see,  I  was  quite  certain  you'd  have  one. 
You  take  one  about  this  hour  every  day." 

"By  Jove,  you  have  been  watching  me !"  cried  Truxton 
delightedly. 

"What  are  you  doing  in  Edelweiss,  ]\Ir.  King?"  asked 
the  Baron  abruptly  but  not  peremptorily. 

"Sight-seeing  and  in  search  of  adventure,"  was  the 
prompt  response. 

"I  fancied  as  much.  You've  seen  quite  a  bit  of  the 
world  since  you  left  home  two  years  ago,  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  September." 

"By  Jove  i" 

"Been  to  South  Africa,  Asia  and — South  America — - 
to  say  nothing  of  Europe.     That  must  have  been  an 

xciting  little  episode  in  South  America." 

•'You  don't  mean  to  say " 

"Oh,  I  know  all  about  your  participation  in  the  revo- 
iUtion  down  there.  You  were  a  captain,  I  understand, 
during  the  three  weeks  of  disturbance.  Splendid !  For 
the  fun  of  the  thing,  I  suppose.  Well,  I  like  it  in  you. 
I  should  have  done  it  myself.  And  you  got  out  of  the 
country  just  in  time,  if  I  remember  rightly.  There  was 
a  price  placed  on  your  head  by  the  distressed  govern- 


64»  TRUXTON  KING 

ment.  I  imagine  they  would  have  shot  you  if  they  could 
have  caught  you — as  they  did  the  others."  The  old 
man  chuckled.  "You  don't  expect  to  return  to  South 
America,  do  you?    The  price  is  still  offered,  you  know." 

King  was  glaring  at  him  in  sheer  wonder.  Here  was 
an  episode  in  his  life  that  he  fondly  hoped  might  never 
come  to  light ;  he  knew  how  it  would  disturb  his  mother. 
And  this  foxy  old  fellow  away  off  here  in  Graustark 
knew  all  about  it. 

"Well,  you're  a  wonder !"  in  pure  admiration. 

"An  appreciated  compliment,  I  assure  you.  This  is  all 
in  the  way  of  letting  you  know  that  we  have  found  out 
something  concerning  your  movements.  Now,  to  come 
down  to  the  present.  You  expected  to  leave  to-morrow. 
Why  are  you  staying  over?" 

"Baron,  I  leave  that  to  your  own  distinguished  powers 
of  deduction,"  said  Truxton  gently.  He  took  a  long 
pull  at  the  straw,  watching  the  other's  face  as  he  did  so. 
The  Baron  smiled. 

"You  have  found  the  young  lady  to  be  very  attractive," 
observed  the  Baron.  "Where  have  you  known  her  be- 
fore?" 

"I  beg  pardon.^" 

"It  is  not  unusual  for  a  young  man  in  search  of  ad- 
venture to  follow  the  lady  of  his  choice  from  place  to 
place.     She  came  but  recently,  I  recall." 

"You  think  I  knew  her  before  and  followed  her  to  Edel- 
weiss?" 

"I  am  not  quite  sure  whether  you  have  been  in  Warsaw 
lately.  There  is  a  gap  in  your  movements  that  I  can't 
account  for." 

King  became  serious  at  once.  He  saw  that  it  was  best 
to  be  frank  with  this  keen  old  man. 

"Baron  Dangloss,  I  don't  know  just  what  you  are 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  REVIEW  55 

driving  at,  but  I'll  set  you  straight  so  far  as  I'm  con- 
cerned. I  never  saw  that  girl  until  the  day  before  yester- 
day.    I  never  spoke  to  her  until  to-day." 

"She  smiled  on  you  quite  famiharly  from  her  window 
casement  yesterday,'*  said  Dangloss  coolly. 

"She  laughed  at  me,  to  be  perfectly  candid.  But  what's 
all  this  about.?  Who  is  she.'*  What's  the  game.'*  I  don't 
mind  confessing  that  I  have  a  feeling  she  is  not  what  she 
claims  to  be,  but  that's  as  far  as  I've  got." 

Dangloss  studied  the  young  man's  face  for  a  moment 
and  then  came  to  a  sudden  decision.  He  leaned  forward 
and  smiled  sourly. 

"Take  my  advice:  do  not  play  with  fire,"  he  said 
enigmatically. 

"You — you  mean  she's  a  dangerous  person.?  I  can't 
believe  that,  Baron." 

"She  has  dangerous  friends  out  in  the  world.  I  don't 
mean  to  say  she  will  cause  you  any  trouble  here — ^but 
there  is  a  hereafter.  Mind  you,  I'm  not  saying  she  isn't 
a  good  girl,  or  even  an  adventuress.  On  the  contrary, 
she  comes  of  an  excellent  family — in  fact,  there  were 
noblemen  among  them  a  generation  or  two  ago.  You 
know  her  name?" 

"No.  I  say,  this  is  getting  interesting!"  He  was 
beaming. 

"She  is  Olga  Platanova.  Her  mother  was  married  in 
this  city  twenty-five  years  ago  to  Professor  Platanova  of 
'  Warsaw.  The  Professor  was  executed  last  year  for  con- 
spiracy. He  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  a  great  revolu-^ 
tionary  movement  in  Poland.  They  were  virtually  an- 
archists, as  you  have  come  to  place  them  in  America. 
This  girl,  Olga,  was  his  secretary.  His  death  almost 
killed  her.  But  that  is  not  all.  She  had  a  sweetheart 
up  to  fifteen  months  ago.    He  was  a  prince  of  the  roya] 


66  TRUXTON  KING 

blood.  He  would  have  married  her  in  spile  of  the  dif- 
ference in  their  stations  had  it  not  been  for  the  inter- 
vention of  the  Crown  that  she  and  her  kind  hate  so  well. 
The  young  man's  powerful  relatives  took  a  hand  in  the 
affair.  He  was  compelled  to  marry  a  scrawny  little  duch- 
ess, and  Olga  was  warned  that  if  she  attempted  to  entice 
him  away  from  his  wife  she  would  be  punished.  She 
did  not  attempt  it,  because  she  is  a  virtuous  girl — of 
that  I  am  sure.  But  she  hates  them  all — oh,  how  she 
hates  them!  Her  uncle,  Spantz,  offered  her  a  home. 
She  came  here  a  month  ago,  broken-spirited  and  sick. 
So  far,  she  has  been  exceedingly  respectful  to  our  laws. 
It  is  not  that  we  fear  anything  from  her,  but  that  we 
are  obliged  to  watch  her  for  the  benefit  of  our  big 
brothers  across  the  border.  Now  you  know  why  I  ad- 
vised you  to  let  the  fire  alone." 

King  was  silent  for  a  moment,  turning  something  over 
in  his  head. 

"Baron,  are  you  sure  that  she  is  a  Red?" 

"Quite.     She  attended  their  councils." 

"She  doesn't  look  it,  'pon  my  word.  I  thought  they 
were  the  scum  of  the  earth." 

"The  kind  you  have  in  America  are.  But  over  here — 
oh,  well,  we  never  can  tell." 

"I  don't  mind  saying  she  interests  me.  She's  pretty — 
and  I  have  an  idea  she's  clever.  Baron,  let  me  under 
stand  you.  Do  you  mean  that  this  is  a  polite  way  ol 
commanding  me  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  her.?" 

"You  put  it  broadly.  In  the  first  place,  I  am  quite 
sure  she  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  you.  She  loved 
the  husband  of  the  scrawny  duchess.  YaUy  my  good 
friend,  handsome  as  you  arc,  cannot  interest  her,  be- 
lieve me." 

"I  daresay  you're  right,"  glumly. 


MANY  PERSONS  IN  RE\T[EW  57 

"I  am  merely  warning  you.  Young  men  of  your  age 
and  temperament  sometimes  let  their  fancies  lead  them 
into  desperate  predicaments.  I've  no  doubt  you  can  take 
care  of  yourself,  but — "  he  paused,  as  if  very  much  in 
doubt. 

"I'm  much  obhged.  And  I'll  keep  my  eyes  well  opened. 
I  suppose  there's  no  harm  in  my  going  to  the  shop  to 
look  at  a  lot  of  rings  and  knick-knacks  he  has  for  sale?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  Confine  yourself  to  knick-knacks, 
that's  all." 

"Isn't  Spantz  above  suspicion?" 

"No  one  is  in  my  little  world.  By  the  way,  I  am  very 
fond  of  vour  father.  He  is  a  most  excellent  gentleman 
and  a  splendid  shot." 

Truxton  stared  harder  than  ever.     "What's  that?" 

"I  know  him  quite  well.  Hunted  wild  boars  with  him 
five  years  ago  in  Germany.  And  your  sister !  She  was 
a  beautiful  young  girl.  They  were  at  Carlsbad  at  the 
time.     Was  she  quite  well  when  you  last  heard?" 

"She  was,"  was  all  that  the  wondering  brother  could 
say. 

"Well,  come  in  and  see  me  at  the  tower.  I  am  there  in 
the  mornings.  Come  as  a  caller,  not  as  a  prisoner, 
that's  all."  The  Baron  cackled  at  his  ^ittle  jest.  ''Au 
revair!  Till  we  meet  again."  They  were  shaking  hands 
in  the  friendliest  manner.  "Oh,  by  the  way,  you  were 
good  enough  to  change  your  mind  to-day  about  the 
personal  attractiveness  of  our  ladies.  Permit  me  to  ob- 
serve, in  return,  that  not  a  few  of  our  most  distinguished 
beauties  were  good  enough  to  make  inquiries  as  to  your 
identity." 

He  left  the  American  standing  at  the  head  of  the  steps, 
gazing  after  his  retreating  figure  with  a  look  of  admira= 
tion  in  his  eyes. 


68 


TRUXTON  KING 


Tnixton  fared  forth  into  the  streets  that  night  with  a 
greater  zest  in  life  than  he  had  ever  known  before.  Some 
thing  whispered  insistently  to  his  fancy  that  dreariness 
was  a  thing  of  the  past ;  he  did  not  have  to  whistle  to 
keep  up  his  spirits.  They  were  soaring  of  their  own 
accord. 

He  did  not  know,  however,  that  a  person  from  the 
secret  service  was  watching  his  every  movement.  Nor^ 
on  the  other  hand,  is  it  at  all  likely  that  the  secret  service 
operative  was  aware  that  he  was  not  the  only  shadower 
of  the  blithe  young  stranger. 

A  man  with  a  limp  cigarette  between  his  lips  was  never 
far  from  the  side  of  the  American — a  man  who  had 
stopped  to  pass  the  time  of  day  with  William  Spantz, 
and  who,  from  that  hour  was  not  to  let  the  3'oung  man 
gut  of  his  sight  until  another  relieved  him  of  the  task. 


CHAPTER   IV 

TRUXTOX   TRESPASSES 

He  went  to  bed  that  night,  tired  and  happy.  To  his  re- 
vived spirits  and  his  new  attitude  toward  life  in  its  pres- 
ent state,  the  city  had  suddenly  turned  gay  and  viva- 
cious. Twice  during  the  evening  he  passed  Spantz's 
shop.  It  was  dark,  upstairs  and  down.  He  wondered 
if  the  unhappy  Olga  was  looking  at  him  from  behind  the 
darkened  shutters.  But  even  if  she  were  not — la,  lal 
He  was  having  a  good  time!  He  was  gay!  He  was 
seeing  pretty  women  in  the  cafes  and  the  gardens !  Well, 
well,  he  would  see  her  to-morrow — after  that  he  would 
give  proper  heed  to  the  Baron's  warning !  An  anarchist's 
daughter ! 

He  slept  well,  too,  with  never  a  thought  of  the  Satur- 
day express  which  he  had  lain  awake  on  other  nights  to 
lament  and  anathematise.  Bright  and  early  in  the  morn- 
ing he  was  astir.  Somehow  he  felt  he  had  been  sleeping 
too  much  of  late. 

There  was  a  sparkle  in  his  eyes  as  he  struck  out  across 
town  after  breakfast.  He  burst  in  upon  Mr.  Hobbs  at 
Cook's. 

"Say,  Hobbs,  how  about  the  Castle  to-day — in  an  hour, 
say?  Can  you  take  a  party  of  one  rubbernecking  this' 
A.M.?  I  like  you,  Hobbs.  You  are  the  best  interpreter 
of  English  I've  ever  seen.  I  can't  help  understanding 
you,  no  matter  how  hard  I  try  not  to.  I  want  you  to 
get  me  into  the  Castle  grounds  to-day  and  show  me 
where  the  duchesses  dawdle  and  the  countesses  cavort. 
I'm  ashamed  to  say  it,  Hobbs,  but  since  yesterday  I've 
quite  lost  interest  in  the  middle  classes  and  the  com- 


60  TRUXTON  KING 

ponent  parts  thereof.  I  have  suddenl}"  acquired  a  thirst 
for  champagne — in  other  words,  I  have  a  hankering  for 
the  nobility.  Catch  the  idea.?  Good !  Then  you'll  guide 
me  into  the  land  of  the  fairies?     At  ten?" 

"I'll  take  3'ou  to  the  Castle  grounds,  I\Ir.  King,  all 
ri^ht  enough,  sir,  and  I'll  tell  you  all  the  things  of  in- 
terest, but  I'll  be  'anged,  sir,  if  I've  got  the  blooming 
nerve  to  introduce  you  to  the  first  ladies  of  the  land. 
That's  more  than  I  can  ever  'ope  to  do,  sir,  and " 

"Lord  bless  you,  Hobbs,  don't  look  so  depressed.  I 
don't  ask  you  to  present  me  at  court.  I  just  want  to 
look  at  the  lilacs  and  the  gargoyles.  That's  as  far  as  I 
expect  to  carr}^  my  invasion  of  the  dream  world." 

"Of  course,  sir,  you  understand  there  are  certain  parts 
of  the  Park  not  open  to  the  public.  The  grotto  and  the 
playgrounds  and  the  Basin  of  Venus " 

"I'll  not  trespass,  so  don't  fidget,  Plobbs.  I'll  be  here 
for  you  at  ten." 

Mr.  Hobbs  looked  after  the  vigorous,  happy  figure  as 
it  swung  down  the  street,  and  shook  his  head  mournfully. 
Turning  to  the  solitary  clerk  who  dawdled  behind  the 
cashier's  desk  he  remarked  with  more  feeling  than  was 
his  wont : 

"He's  just  the  kind  of  chap  to  get  me  into  no  end  of 
trouble  if  I  give  'im  rope  enough.  Take  it  from  me, 
Stokes,  I'll  have  my  hands  full  of  'im  up  there  this  morn- 
ing. He's  charged  like  a  soda  bottle;  and  you  never 
know  wot's  going  to  happen  unless  you  handle  a  soda 
bottle  very  careful-like." 

Truxton  hurried  to  the  square  and  across  it  to  the 
shop  of  the  armourer,  not  forgetting,  however,  to  look 
about  in  some  anxiety  for  the  excellent  Dangloss,  who 
might,  for  all  he  knew,  be  snooping  in  the  neighbour- 
hood.    Spantz  was  at  the  rear  of  the  shop,  talking  to  a 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  61 

customer.     The  girl  was  behind  the  counter,  dressed  for 
the  street. 

She  came  quickly  out  to  him,  a  disturbed  expression  in 
her  face.  As  he  doffed  his  hat,  the  smile  left  his  lips| 
he  saw  that  she  had  been  weeping. 

"You  must  not  come  here,  Mr.  King,"  she  said  hur- 
riedly, in  low  tones.  "Take  your  broadsword  this  morn- 
ing and — please,  for  my  sake,  do  not  come  again.  I — I 
may  not  explain  vrhy  I  am  asking  you  to  do  this,  but  I 
m.ean  it  for  your  good,  more  than  for  my  own.  My 
uncle  will  be  out  in  a  moment.  He  knows  you  are  here. 
He  is  listening  now  to  catch  what  I  am  sa3'ing  to  you= 
Smile,  please,  or  he  will  suspect " 

"See  here,"  demanded  King,  smiling,  but  very  much  in 
earnest,  "what's  up.^  You've  been  crying.  What's  he 
been  doing  or  saying  to  you  ?    I'll  give  him  a " 

"No,  no!  Be  sensible!  It  is  nothing  in  which  you 
could  possibly  take  a  hand.  I  don't  know  you,  Mr. 
King,  but  I  am  in  earnest  when  I  say  that  it  is  not  safe 
for  you  to  come  here,  ostensibly  to  buy.  It  is  too  easily 
seen  through — it  is " 

"Just  a  minute,  please,"  he  interrupted.  "I've  heard 
your  story  from  Baron  Dangloss.  It  has  appealed  to 
me.  You  are  not  happy.  Are  you  in  trouble?  Do  you 
need  friends,  Miss  Platanova.?" 

"It  is  because  you  would  be  a  friend  that  I  ask  you  to 
stay  away.  You  cannot  be  my  friend.  Pray  do  not 
consider  me  bold  for  assuming  so  much.  But  I  know — I 
know  men,  Mr.  King.  The  Baron  has  told  you  all  about 
me.?"  She  smiled  sadly.  "Alas,  he  has  only  told  you 
what  he  knows.  But  it  should  be  sufficient.  There  is  no 
place  in  my  life  for  you  or  any  one  else.  There  never 
can  be.  So,  you  see,  you  may  not  develop  your  romance 
with  me  as  the  foundation.    Oh,  I've  heard  of  your  quest 


62  TRUXTON  KING 

of  adventure.  I  like  you  for  it.  I  had  an  imaginatioii 
myself,  once  on  a  time.  I  loved  the  fairy  books  and  the 
love  tales.  But  not  now — not  now.  There  is  no  romance 
for  me.  Nothing  but  grave  realit}-.  Do  not  question 
me!  I  can  say  no  more.  Now  I  must  be  gone.  I — I 
have  warned  you.     Do  not  come  again  1" 

"Thanks,  for  the  warning,"  he  said  quietly.  "But  I 
expect  to  come  in  occasionally,  just  the  same.  You've 
taken  the  wrong  tack  by  trying  to  frighten  me  off.  You 
«ee.  Miss  Platanova,  I'm  actually  looking  for  some- 
thing dangerous — if  that's  what  you  mean." 

"That  isn't  all,  believe  me,"  she  pleaded.  "You  can 
gain  nothing  by  coming.  You  know  who  I  am.  I  can- 
not be  a  friend — not  even  an  acquaintance  to  you,  Mr. 
King.     Good-b3^e  !    Please  do  not  come  again  !" 

She  slipped  into  the  street  and  was  gone.  King  stood 
in  the  doorway,  looking  after  her,  a  puzzled  gleam  in  his 
eyes.  Old  Spantz  was  coming  up  from  the  rear,  fol- 
lowed by  his  customer. 

"Queer,"  thought  the  American.  "She's  changed  her 
tactics  rather  suddenly.  Smiled  at  me  in  the  beginning 
and  now  cries  a  bit  because  I'm  trying  to  return  the 
compliment.  Well,  by  the  Lord  Harrj^  she  shan't  scare 
me  off  like — Hello,  ]\Ir.  Spantz!  Good  morning!  I'm 
here  for  the  sword." 

The  old  man  glared  at  him  in  unmistakable  displeasure. 
Truxton  began  counting  out  his  mone3^  The  customer, 
a  swarthy  fellow,  passed  out  of  the  door,  turning  to 
glance  intently  at  the  young  man.  A  meaning  look  and 
a  sly  nod  passed  between  him  and  Spantz.  The  man 
halted  at  the  corner  below  and,  later  on,  followed  King 
to  Cook's  office,  afterward  to  the  Castle  gates,  outside 
of  which  he  waited  until  his  quarry  reappeared.  Until 
King  went  to  bed  late  that  night  this  swarthy  fellow 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  63 

was  close  at  his  heels,  always  keeping  well  out  of  sight 
himself. 

"I'll  come  in  soon  to  look  at  those  rings,"  said  King, 
placing  the  notes  on  the  counter.  Spantz  merely  nodded, 
raked  in  the  bills  without  counting  them,  and  passed  the 
sword  over  to  the  purchaser. 

"Very  good,  sir,"  he  growled  after  a  moment. 

**I  hate  to  carry  this  awful  thing  through  the  streets," 
said  King,  looking  at  the  huge  weapon  with  despairing 
eye.  Inwardly,  he  was  cursing  himself  for  his  extrava- 
gance and  cupidity. 

"It  belongs  to  you,  my  friend.     Take  it  or  leave  it." 

"I'll  take  it,"  said  Truxton,  smiling  indulgently.  With 
that  he  picked  up  the  weapon  and  stalked  away. 

A  few  minutes  later  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  Castle 
grounds,  accompanied  by  the  short-legged  Mr.  Hobbs, 
who,  from  time  to  time,  was  forced  to  remove  his  tight- 
fitting  cap  to  mop  a  hot,  exasperated  brow,  so  swift  was 
the  pace  set  by  long-legs.  The  broadsword  reposed 
calmly  on  a  desk  under  the  nose  of  a  properly  impressed 
young  person  named  Stokes,  cashier. 

Hobbs  led  him  through  the  great  Park  gates  and  up 
to  the  lodge  of  Jacob  Fraasch,the  venerable  high  steward 
of  the  grounds.  Here,  to  King's  utter  disgust,  he  was 
booked  as  a  plain  Cook's  tourist  and  mechanically  ad- 
vised to  pay  strict  attention  to  the  rules  which  would  be 
explained  to  him  by  the  guide. 

"Cook's  tourist,  eh?"  muttered  King  wrathfully  as  they 
ambled  down  the  shady  path  together.  He  looked  with 
disparaging  eye  upon  the  plain  little  chap  beside  him. 

"It's  no  disgrace,"  growled  Hobbs,  redder  than  ever. 
**You're  inside  the  grounds  and  you've  got  to  obey  the 
rules,  same  as  any  tourist.     Right  this  way,  sir;  we'll 

take  a  turn  just  inside  the  wall.     Now,  on  your  left, 


64  TRUXTON  KING 

ladies  and — ahem ! — I  should  say — ahem ! — sir,  you  may 
see  the  first  turret  ever  built  on  the  wall.  It  is  over  four 
hundred  years  old.     On  the  right,  we  have " 

"See  here,  Hobbs,"  said  King,  stopping  short,  "I'm 
damned  if  I'll  let  you  lecture  me  as  if  I  were  a  gang  of 
hayseeds  from  Oklahoma," 

"Very  good,  sir.     No  offence.     I  quite  forgot,  sir." 

"Jusl  tell  me— don't  lecture." 

For  three-quarters  of  an  hour  they  wandered  through 
the  spacious  grounds,  never  drawing  closer  to  the  Castle 
than  permitted  by  the  restrictions ;  always  coming  up  to 
the  broad  driveway  which  marked  the  border  line,  never 
passing  it.  The  gorgeous  beauty  of  this  historic  old 
park,  so  full  of  traditions  and  the  lore  of  centuries, 
wrought  strange  fancies  and  bold  inclinations  in  the  head 
of  the  audacious  visitor.  He  felt  the  bonds  of  restraint ; 
he  resented  the  irksome  chains  of  convention ;  he  mur- 
mured against  the  laws  that  said  he  should  not  step 
across  the  granite  road  into  the  cool  forbidden  world  be- 
yond— the  world  of  kings.  Hobbs  knew  he  was  doomed 
to  have  rebellion  on  his  hands  before  long;  he  could  see 
it  coming. 

"When  we've  seen  the  royal  stables,  we'll  have  seen 
everything  of  any  consequence,"  he  hastened  to  say. 
"Then  we'll  leave  by  the  upper  gates  and " 

"Hobbs,  this  is  all  very  beautiful  and  very  grand  and 
very  slow,"  said  King,  stopping  to  lean  against  the 
moss-covered  wall  that  encircled  the  park  within  a  park: 
the  grounds  adjoining  the  grotto.  "Can't  I  hop  over 
this  wall  and  take  a  peep  into  the  grotto?" 

"By  no  means,"  cried  Hobbs,  horrified.  "That,  sir,  is 
the  most  proscribed  spot,  next  to  the  Castle  itself.  You 
CflTiV  go  In  there." 

King   looked   over   the  low   wall.      Tb.e   prospect  was 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  65 

alluring.  The  pool,  the  trickling  rivulets,  the  mossy 
banks,  the  dense  shadows :  it  was  maddening  to  think  he 
could  not  enter ! 

"I  wouldn't  be  in  there  a  minute,"  he  argued.  "And 
I  might  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  dream-ladj.  Now,  I  say, 
Hobbs,  here's  a  low  place.     I  could  jump " 

"Mr.  King,  if  you  do  that  I  am  ruined  forever.  I  am 
trusted  by  the  steward.  He  would  cut  off  all  my  privi- 
leges— "  Hobbs  could  go  no  further.  He  was  pre- 
maturely aghast.  Something  told  him  that  Mr.  King 
would  hop  over  the  wall. 

"Just  this  once,  Hobbs,"  pleaded  his  charge.  "No  one 
will  know." 

"For  the  love  of  Moses,  sir,  I — "  Hobbs  began  to  wail. 
Then  he  groaned  in  dismal  horror.  King  had  lightly 
vaulted  the  wall  and  was  grinning  back  at  him  from  the 
sacred  precincts — from  the  playground  of  princesses. 

"Go  and  report  me,  Hobbs,  there's  a  good  fellow.  Tell 
the  guards  I  wouldn't  obey.  That  will  let  you  out,  my 
boy,  and  I'll  do  the  rest.  For  Heaven's  sake,  Hobbs, 
don't  burst !  You'll  explode  sure  if  you  hold  in  like  that 
much  longer.     I'll  be  back  in  a  minute." 

He  strode  off  across  the  bright  green  turf  toward  the 
•ource  of  all  this  enchantment,  leaving  poor  Mr.  Hobbs 
braced  against  the  wall,  weak-kneed  and  helpless.  If  he 
heard  the  frantic,  though  subdued,  whistles  and  the 
agonized  "hi !"  of  the  man  from  Cook's  a  minute  or  two 
later,  he  gave  no  heed  to  the  warning.  A  glimpse  behind 
might  have  shown  him  the  error  of  his  ways,  reflected  in 
the  disappearance  of  Hobbs's  head  below  the  top  of  the 
wall.  But  he  was  looking  ahead,  drinking  in  the  for- 
bidden beauties  of  this  fascinating  little  nook  of  nature. 

Never  in  all  his  wanderings  had  he  looked  upon  a  more 
inviting  spot  than  this.     He  came  to  the  edge  of  the 


66  TRUXTON  KING 

deep  blue  poo\  above  which  could  be  seen  the  entrance  ta 
the  Grotto.  Little  rivulets  danced  down  through  the 
crannies  in  the  rocks  and  leaped  joyoush'  into  the  tree- 
shaded  pool.  Below  and  to  the  right  were  the  famed 
Basins  of  Venus,  shimmering  in  the  sunlight,  flanked  by 
trees  and  banks  of  the  softest  green.  On  their  surface 
swam  the  great  black  swans  he  had  heard  so  much  about. 
Through  a  wide  rift  in  the  trees  he  could  see  the  great, 
grey  Castle,  half  a  mile  away,  towering  against  the  dense 
greens  of  the  nearby  mountain.  The  picture  took  his 
breath  away.  He  forgot  Hobbs.  He  forgot  that  he  was 
trespassing.  Here,  at  last,  was  the  Graustark  he  had 
seen  in  his  dreams,  had  come  to  feel  in  his  imagination. 

Regardless  of  surroundings  or  consequences,  he  sat 
down  upon  the  nearest  stone  bench,  and  removed  his  hat. 
He  was  hot  and  tired  and  the  air  was  cool.  He  would 
drink  it  in  as  if  it  were  an  ambrosial  nectar  in — and, 
moreover,  he  would  also  enjoy  a  cigarette.  Carefully  he 
refrained  from  throwing  the  burnt-out  match  into  the 
pool  below:  even  such  as  he  could  feel  that  it  might  be 
desecration.  As  he  leaned  back  with  a  sigh  of  exquisite 
ease  and  a  splendid  exhalation  of  Turkish  smoke,  a 
small,  imperious  voice  from  somewhere  behind  broke  in 
upon  his  primary''  reflections. 

"What  are  you  doing  in  here?"  demanded  the  voice. 

Truxton,  conscious  of  guilt,  whirled  with  as  much  con- 
sternation as  if  he  had  been  accosted  by  a  voice  of 
thunder.  He  beheld  a  very  small  bo}^  standing  at  the 
top  of  the  knoll  above  him,  not  thirty  feet  away.  His 
face  was  quite  as  dirty  as  any  small  boy's  should  be  at 
that  time  of  day,  and  his  curly  brown  hair  looked  as  if 
it  had  not  been  combed  since  the  day  before.  His  firm 
little  legs,  in  half  hose  and  presumably  white  knickers, 
were  spread  apart  and  his  hands  were  in  his  pockets. 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  67' 

King  recognised  him  at  once,  and  looked  about  uneasily 
for  the  attendants  whom  he  knew  should  be  near.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  he  came  to  his  feet  and  bowed  deeply, 
even  in  humihty. 

"I  am  resting,  your  Highness,"  he  said  meekly. 

"Don't  you  know  any  better  than  to  come  in  here.?"  de- 
manded the  Prince.     Truxton  turned  very  red. 

"I  am  sorry.     I'll  go  at  once." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  going  to  put  you  out,"  hastily  exclaimed 
the  Prince,  coming  down  the  slope.  "But  3'ou  are  old 
enough  to  know  better.  The  guards  might  shoot  you  if 
they  caught  you  here."  He  came  quite  close  to  the  tres- 
passer. King  saw  the  scratch  on  his  nose.  "Oh,  I  know 
you  now.  You  are  the  gentleman  who  picked  up  my 
crop  yesterday.  You  are  an  American."  A  friendly 
smile  illumined  his  face. 

"Yes,  a  lonely  American,"  with  an  attempt  at  the 
pathetic. 

"Where's  your  home  at?" 

"New  York.     Quite  a  distance  from  here." 

"You  ever  been  in  Central  Park.^" 

"A  thousand  times.    It  isn't  as  nice  as  this  one." 

"It's  got  amilies — no,  I  don't  mean  that,"  supplemented 
the  Prince,  flushing  painfully.  "I  mean — an-i-muls," 
very  deliberately.  "Our  park  has  no  elephunts  or  tag- 
gers. When  I  get  big  I'm  going  to  set  out  a  few  in  the 
park.     They'll  grow,  all  right." 

"I've  shot  elephants  and  tigers  in  the  jungle,"  said 
Truxton.  "I  tell  you  they're  no  fun  when  they  get 
after  you,  wild.    If  I  were  you  I'd  set  'em  out  in  cages." 

"P'raps  I  will."     The  Prince  seemed  very  thoughtfuL 

"Won't  you  sit  down,  your  Highness?" 

The  youngster  looked  cautiously  about.  "Say,  do 
you  ever  go  fishing?"  he  demanded  eagerly. 


68  TRUXTON  KING 

''Occasionally." 

"You  won't  give  me  away,  will  you?"  with  a  warning 
frown.  "Don't  you  tell  Jacob  Fraasch.  He's  the 
steward.  I — I  know  a  fine  place  to  fish.  Would  you 
mind  coming  along.?  Look  out,  please!  You're  awful 
big  and  they'll  see  you.  I  don't  know  what  they'd  do 
to  us  if  they  ketched  us.  It  would  be  dreadful.  Would 
you  mind  sneaking,  mister.?  Make  yourself  little. 
Right  up  this  way." 

The  Prince  led  the  way  up  the  bank,  followed  by  the 
amused  American,  who  stooped  so  admirably  that  the 
boy,  looking  back,  whispered  that  it  was  "just  fine." 
At  the  top  of  the  knoll,  the  Prince  turned  into  a  little 
shrub-lined  path  leading  down  to  the  banks  of  the  pool 
almost  directly  below  the  rocky  face  of  the  grotto. 

"Don't  be  afraid,"  he  whispered  to  his  new  friend.  "It 
ain't  very  deep,  if  you  should  slip  in.  But  you'd  scare 
the  fish  away.  Gee,  it's  a  great  place  to  catch  'em. 
They're  all  red,  too.    D'you  ever  see  red  fish?" 

Truxton  started.  This  was  no  place  for  him!  The 
Prince  had  a  right  to  poach  on  his  own  preserves,  but 
a  grown  man  to  be  caught  in  the  act  of  landing  the 
royal  goldfish  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  He  hung 
back. 

"I'm  afraid  I  won't  have  time,  your  Highness.  A  friend 
is  waiting  for  me  back  there.     He — " 

"It's  right  here,"  pleaded  the  Prince.  "Please  stop 
a  moment.  I — I  don't  know  how  to  put  the  bait  on  the 
pin.  I  just  want  to  catch  a  couple.  They  won't  bite 
unless  there's  worms  on  the  hook.  I  tried  'em.  Look 
at  'em!  Goodness,  there's  lots  of  'cm.  Nobody  can 
see  us  here.    Please,  mister,  fix  a  worm  for  me." 

The  man  sat  down  behind  a  bush  and  laughed  joy- 
ously.   The  eager,  appealing  look  in  the  lad's  eyes  went 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  69 

to  his  heart.  What  was  a  goldfish  or  two?  A  fish  has 
no  feeling — not  even  a  goldfish.  There  was  no  resist- 
ing the  boyish  eagerness. 

"Why,  you're  a  real  boy,  after  ail.  I  thought  being 
a  prince  might  have  spoiled  you,"  he  said. 

"Uncle  Jack  says  I  can  always  be  a  prince,  but  I'll 
soon  get  over  being  a  boy,"  said  Prince  Bobby  sagely. 
"You  will  fix  it,  won't  you?" 

King  nodded,  conscienceless  now.  The  Prince  scurried 
behind  a  big  rock  and  reappeared  at  once  with  a  willow 
branch  from  the  end  of  which  dangled  a  piece  of  thread. 
A  bent  pin  occupied  the  chief  end  in  view.  He  uncere- 
moniously shoved  the  branch  into  the  hands  of  his  con- 
federate, and  then  produced  from  one  of  his  pockets  a 
silver  cigarette  box,  which  he  gingerly  opened  to  reveal 
to  the  gaze  a  conglomerate  mass  of  angle  worms 
and  grubs. 

"A  fellow  gets  awful  dirty  digging  for  worms,  doesn't 
he?"  he  pronounced. 

"I  should  say  so,"  agreed  the  big  boy.  "'Whose  cigar- 
ette case  is  this?" 

"Uncle  Caspar's — I  mean  Count  Halfont's.  He's  got 
another,  so  he  won't  miss  this  one.  I'm  going  to  leave 
some  worms  in  it  when  I  put  it  back  in  his  desk.  He'll 
think  the  fairies  did  it.     Do  you  believe  in  fairies?" 

"Certainly,  Peter,"  said  Truxton,  engaged  in  impaling 
A  stubborn  worm. 

"My  name  isn't  Peter,"  said  the  Prince  coldly. 

"I  was  thinking  of  Peter  Pan.     Ever  hear  of  him?" 

"No.  Say,  you  mustn't  talk  or  you'll  scare  'em  away. 
Is  it  fixed?"  He  took  the  branch  and  gingerly  dropped 
the  hook  into  the  dancing  pool.  In  less  time  than  it 
requires  to  tell  it  he  had  a  nibble,  a  bite  and  a  catch. 
There  never  was  a  boy  so  excited  as  he  when  the  scarlet 


TO  TRUXTON  KING 

nibbler  flew  into  the  shrubbery  above;  he  gasped  with 
glee.  Truxton  recovered  the  catch  from  the  bushes  and 
coolly  detached  the  truculent  pin. 

"I'll  have  'em  for  dinner,"  announced  the  Prince. 

"Are  you  going  to  catch  a  mess?"  queried  the  man, 
appalled. 

"Sure,"  said  Bobby,  casting  again  with  a  resolute 
splash. 

"Are  you  not  afraid  they'll  get  onto  you  if  you  take 
them  to  the  Castle.^"  asked  the  other  diplomatically « 
"Goldfish  are  a  dead  give-away." 

"Nobody  will  scold  'cept  Uncle  Jack,  and  he  won't 
know  about  it.  He's  prob'ly  gone  away  by  this  time.*' 
King  noticed  that  his  lip  trembled  suddenly. 

"Gone  away?" 

"Yes.  He  was  banished  this  morning  right  after 
breakfast."  The  announcement  began  with  a  tremor 
but  ended  with  imperial  firmness. 

"Great  Scott !"  gasped  the  other,  genuinely  shocked. 

"I  banished  him,"  said  the  Prince  ruefully.  "But,"  with 
a  fine  smile,  "I  don't  think  he'll  go.  He  never  does.  See 
my  sign  up  there?"  He  pointed  to  the  rocks  near  the 
grotto.     "I  did  it  with  Hugo's  shoe  blacking." 

A  placard  containing  the  important  announcement, 
^NO  FISHING  ALOUD"  stared  down  at  the  poachers 
from  a  tree  trunk  above.  There  was  nothing  very  per- 
emptory in  its  appearance,  but  its  designer  was  suffi 
ciontly  impressed  by  the  craftiness  it  contained. 

"I  put  it  up  so's  people  wouldn't  think  anybody — not 
even  me — would  dare  to  fish  here.  Oh,  look !"  The 
second  of  his  ruddy  mess  was  flopping  in  the  grass. 
Again  Truxton  thought  of  Mr.  Hobbs,  this  time  with 
anxious  glances  in  all  directions. 

"Where  do  they  think  you  are,  your  Highness?" 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  71 

**Out  walking  with  my  aunt.  Only  she  met  Count  Vos 
Engo,  and  while  they  were  talking  I  made  a  sneak — I 
mean,  I  stole  away." 

"Then  they'll  be  searching  for  you  in  all  parts  of  the 
■ — "  began  Truxton,  coming  to  his  feet.  "I  really  must 
he  going.    Please  excuse  me,  your — " 

"Oh,  don't  go!  I'll  not  let  'em  do  anything  to  you," 
said  the  Prince  staunchly.  "I  like  Americans  better  than 
anybody  else,"  he  went  on  with  deft  persuasiveness. 
"They  ain't — aren't  afraid  of  anything.  They're  not 
cowards." 

Truxton  sat  down  at  once.  He  could  not  turn  tail  in 
the  face  of  such  an  exalted  opinion. 

"I'm  not  supposed  to  ever  go  out  alone,"  went  on  the 
Prince  confidentially.  "You  see,  they're  going  to  blow 
me  up  if  they  get  a  chance." 

"Blow  you  up  ?" 

"Haven't  you  heard  about  it  ?  With  dynamite  bums — 
bombs.  Yes,  sir!  That's  the  way  they  do  to  all 
princes."  He  was  quite  unconcerned.  Truxton's  look 
of  horror  diminished.  No  doubt  it  was  a  subterfuge 
employed  to  secure  princel}^  obedience,  very  much  as  the 
common  little  boy  is  brought  to  time  by  mention  of  the 
ubiquitous  bogie  man. 

"That's  too  bad,"  commiserated  Truxton,  baiting  the 
pin  once  more. 

"It's  old  Count  Marlanx.  He's  going  to  blow  me  up. 
He  hated  my  mother  and  my  father,  so  I  guess  he  hates 
me.     He's  turrible,  Uncle  Caspar  says." 

King  was  very  thoughtful  for  a  moment.  Something 
vivid  3'et  fleeting  had  shot  through  his  brain — some- 
thing that  he  tried  to  catch  and  analyse,  but  it  was 
gone  before  he  could  grasp  its  significance.  He  looked 
with  new  interest  upon  this  serene,  lovable  little  chap, 


72  TRUXTON  KING 

who  was  growing  up,  like  all  princes,  in  the  shadow  of 
disaster. 

Suddenly  the  fisherman's  quick  little  ears  caught  a 
sound  that  caused  him  to  reveal  a  no-uncertain  agita- 
tion. He  dropped  his  rod  incontinently  and  crawled  to 
the  opening  in  the  shrubbery,  peering  with  alarmed  eyes 
dovrn  the  path  along  the  bank. 

"What  is  it.f^  A  dynamiter.^"  demanded  Truxton  un- 
easily. 

"Worse'n  that,"  whispered  his  royal  Highness.  "It's 
Aunt  Loraine.  Gee!"  To  King's  utter  dismay,  the 
Prince  scuttled  for  the  underbrush. 

"Here!"  he  called  in  consternation.  The  Prince 
stopped,  shamefaced  on  the  instant.  "I  thought  you 
were  going  to  protect  me." 

"I  shall,"  affinned  Bobby,  manfully  resuming  his 
ground.  "She's  coming  up  the  path.  Don't  run,"  he 
exclaimed  scornfully,  as  Truxton  started  for  the  rocks. 
"She  can't  hurt  you.     She's  only  a  girl." 

"All  right.  I  won't  run,"  said  the  big  culprit,  who 
wished  he  had  the  power  to  fly. 

"And  there's  SafFo  and  Cors  over  there  watching  us, 
too.     We're  caught.     I'm  sorry,  mister." 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  pool  stood  two  rigid  mem- 
bers of  the  Royal  Guard,  intently  watching  the  fishers. 
King  was  somewhat  disturbed  by  the  fact  that  their 
rifles  were  in  a  position  to  be  used  at  an  instant's  notice. 
He  felt  himself  turning  pale  as  he  thought  of  what 
might  have  happened  if  he  had  taken  to  flight. 

A  young  lady  in  a  rajah  silk  gown,  a  flimsy  panama 
hat  tilted  well  over  her  nose,  with  a  red  feather  that 
stood  erect  as  if  always  in  a  state  of  surprise,  turned 
the  bushes  and  came  to  a  stop  almost  at  King's  elbow. 
He  had  time  to  note,  in  his  confusion,  that  she  was  about 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  73 

ehoTilder-high  alongside  him,  and  that  she  was  staring 
up  iuru  his  face  with  amazed  grey  eyes.  Afterward 
he  was  to  realise  that  she  was  amazingly  pretty,  that 
her  teeth  >Tere  very  white  and  eyen,  that  her  eyes  were 
the  most  bex^atiful  and  expressive  he  had  ever  seen,  that 
she  was  slendev  and  imperious,  and  that  there  were  dim- 
ples in  her  ch^^s  so  fascinating  that  he  could  not 
gather  sufficient  strength  of  purpose  to  withdraw  his 
gaze  from  them.  Of  course,  he  did  not  see  them  at  the 
outset:  she  was  no^  smiling,  so  how  could  he? 

The  Prince  camv^  to  the  rescue.  "This  is  my  Aunt 
Loraine,  Mr. — Mi.  - — "  he  swallowed  hard  and  looked 
helpless. 

"King,"  supplicij  Truxton,  "Truxton  King,  your 
Highness."  Then  with  all  the  courage  he  could  pro- 
duce, he  said  to  tl^  beautiful  lady:  "I'm  as  guilty  as 
he.  See!"  He  prmited  ruefully  to  the  four  goldfish, 
which  he  had  strung  upon  wire  grass  and  dropped  into 
the  edge  of  the  pool. 

She  did  not  smile.  Indeed,  she  gave  him  a  very  severe 
look.  "How  cruel  r  she  murmured.  "Bobby,  you  de- 
serve a  sound  spanking.  You  are  a  very  naughty  little 
bov."     She  spoke  rapidly  in  French. 

"He  put  the  bait  on,"  said  Bobby,  also  in  French. 
Here  was  treachery- ! 

Truxton  delivered  himself  of  some  French.  "Oh,  I 
say,  your  Highness,  you  said  you'd  pardon  me  if  I  were 
caught." 

"I  can't  pardon  you  until  you  are  found  guilty,"  said 
the  Prince  in  English. 

"Please  put  those  poor  little  things  back  in  the  pool. 
Mr.  King,"  said  the  lady  in  perfect  Enghsh. 

"Gladly — with  the  Prince's  permission,"  said  King, 
also  in  English.   The  Prince  looked  glum,  but  interposed 


T4.  TRUXTON  KING 

no  Imperial  objection.  Instead  he  suddenly  shoved  the 
cigarette  box  under  the  nose  of  his  dainty  relative,  who 
at  that  unpropitious  instant  stooped  over  to  watch 
King's  awkward  attempt  to  release  the  fishes. 

"Look  at  the  worms,"  said  the  Prince  engagingly, 
opening  the  box  with  a  snap. 

"Oh!"  cried  the  young  lady,  starting  back.  "Throw 
them  away  !  the  horried  things  !" 

"Oh,  they  can't  bite,"  scoffed  the  Prince.  "See!  I'm 
not  afraid  of  'em.  Look  at  this  one."  He  held  up  a 
wriggler  and  she  fled  to  the  rock.  She  happened  to 
glance  at  Truxton's  averted  face  and  was  conscious  of 
a  broad  grin ;  whereupon  she  laughed  in  the  quick  stac- 
cato of  embarrassment. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  King's  composure  was  sorely 
disturbed.  In  the  first  place,  he  had  been  caught  in  a 
most  reprehensible  act,  and  in  the  second  place,  he  was 
not  quite  sure  that  the  Prince  could  save  him  from 
ignominious  expulsion  under  the  very  eyes — and  per- 
haps direction — of  this  trim  and  attractive  member  of 
the  royal  household.  He  found  himself  blundering 
foolishly  with  the  fishes  and  wondering  whether  she  was 
a  duchess  or  just  a  plain  countess.  Even  a  regal  person- 
age might  jump  at  the  sight  of  angle  worms,  he  re- 
flected. 

He  glanced  up,  to  find  her  studying  him,  plainly  per- 
plexed. 

"I  just  wandered  in  here,"  he  began  guiltily.  "The 
Prince  captured  me  down  there  by  the  big  tree." 

"Did  you  say  your  name  is  Truxton  King.^"  she 
asked  somewhat  sceptically. 

"Yes,  your — yes,  ma'am,"  he  replied.     "Of  New  York." 

"Your  father  is  Mr.  Emerson  King?  Are  you  the 
brother  of  Adcle  King?" 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  75" 

Truxton  stared.  "Have  you  been  interviewing  the 
police?"  he  asked  before  he  thought. 

"The  pohce.'^  What  have  you  been  doing  .^"  she  cried, 
her  eyes  narrowing. 

"Most  everything.  The  police  know  all  about  me. 
I'm  a  spotted  character.  I  thought  perhaps  they  had 
told  you  about  me." 

"I  asked  if  you  were  Adele's  brother." 

"I  am." 

"I've  heard  her  speak  of  her  brother  Truxton.  She 
said  you  were  in  South  America." 

He  stared  the  harder.     Could  he  believe  his  ears? 

She  was  regarding  him  with  cool,  speculative  interest. 
"I  wonder  if  you  are  he?" 

"I  think  I  am,"  he  said,  but  doubtfully.  "Please  par- 
don my  p.mazement.  Perhaps  I'm  dreaming.  At  any 
rate,  I'm  dazed." 

"We  were  in  the  convent  together  for  two  years.  Now 
that  I  observe  you  closely,  you  do  resemble  her.  We 
were  very  good  friends,  she  and  I." 

"Then  you'll  intercede  for  me?"  he  urged,  with  a 
fers'ent  glance  in  the  direction  of  the  wall. 

She  smiled  joyously.  He  realised  then  and  there  that 
he  had  never  seen  such  beautiful  teeth,  nor  any  creature 
so  radiantly  beautiful,  for  that  matter. 

"More  than  that,"  she  said,  "I  shall  assist  you  to 
escape.    Come !" 

He  followed  her  through  the  shrubbery,  his  heart 
pounding  violently.  The  Prince,  who  trotted  on  ahead, 
had  mentioned  a  Count.  Was  she  married?  Was  she 
of  the  royal  blood?  What  extraordinary  fate  had  made 
her  the  friend  of  his  sister?  He  looked  back  and  saw 
the  two  guardsmen  crossing  the  bridge  below,  their  eyes 
still  upon  him. 


76  TRUXTON  KING 

"It's  very  good  of  you,"  he  said.  She  glanced  back  at 
hira,  a  quaint  smile  in  her  eyes. 

"For  Adele's  sake,  if  you  please.  Trespassing  is  a 
very  serious  offence  here.    How  did  3'ou  get  in.?" 

"I  hopped  in,  over  the  wall." 
'    "I'd  suggest  that  you  do  not  hop  out  again.    Hopping 
over  the  walls  is  not  looked  upon  with  favour  by  the 
guards." 

He  recalled  the  distressed  Mr.  Hobbs.  "The  man 
from  Cook's  tried  to  restrain  me,"  he  said  in  proper 
spirit.     "He  was  very  much  upset." 

"I  dare  say.  You  are  a  Cook's  tourist,  I  see.  How 
very  interesting !  Bobby,  Uncle  Jack  is  waiting  to  take 
you  to  see  the  trained  dogs  at  the  eastern  gate." 

The  Prince  gave  a  whoop  of  joy,  but  instantly  re- 
gained his  dignity. 

"I  can't  go,  auntie,  until  I've  seen  him  safe  outside 
the  walls,"  he  said  finnly.     "I  said  I  would." 

They  came  to  the  little  gate  and  passed  through,  into 
a  winding  path  that  soon  brought  them  to  a  wide,  main- 
travelled  avenue.  A  light  broke  in  upon  Truxton's  mind. 
He  had  it !  This  was  the  wonderful  Countess  Marlanx ! 
No  sooner  had  he  come  to  that  decision  than  he  was 
forced  to  abandon  it.  The  Countess's  name  was 
Ingomede  and  she  already  had  been  pointed  out  to  him. 

"I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  recall  Uncle  Jack  from 
exile,"  he  heard  the  Prince  saying  to  the  beautiful  lady. 
Truxton  decided  that  she  was  not  more  than  twenty-two. 
But  they  married  very  young  in  these  queer  old  coun- 
tries— especially  if  they  happened  to  be  princes  or 
princesses.  He  wanted  to  talk,  to  ask  questions,  to  pro- 
claim his  wonder,  but  discreetly  resolved  that  it  was  best 
to  hold  his  tong*ue.    He  was  by  no  means  sure  of  himself. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  he  was  filled  with  a  strange  rejoicing. 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  77 

Here  was  a  woman  with  whom  he  was  as  sure  to  fall  in 
love  as  he  was  sure  that  the  sun  shone.  He  liked  the 
thought  of  it.  Now  he  appreciated  the  distinction  be- 
tween the  Olga  Platanova  type  and  that  which  repre- 
sented the  blood  of  kings.  There  Tcas  a  difference,' 
Here  was  the  true  Patrician ! 

The  Castle  suddenl}^  loomed  up  before  them — grey  and 
frowning,  not  more  than  three  hundred  3^ards  away.' 
He  was  possessed  of  a  wild  desire  to  walk  straight  into 
the  grim  old  place  and  proclaim  himself  the  feudal 
owner,  seizing  everything  as  his  own — particularly  the 
3*oung  woman  in  the  rajah  silk.  People  were  strolling 
in  the  shady  grounds.  He  felt  the  instant  infection  of 
happy  indolence,  the  call  to  luxury.  Men  in  gay  uni- 
forms and  men  in  cool  flannels ;  women  in  the  prettiest 
and  daintiest  of  frocks — all  basking  in  the  playtime  of 
life,  unmindful  of  the  toil  that  fell  to  the  Sons  of 
Martha  out  in  the  sordid  world. 

"Do  you  think  you  can  find  your  man  from  Cook's.'^" 
she  asked. 

"Unless  he  has  gone  and  jumped  into  the  river,  your 
— ^madam.  In  any  event,  I  think  I  may  safely  find  my 
way  out.  I  shall  not  trouble  you  to  go  any  farther. 
Thank  you  for  overlooking  my  indiscretion.  Thank 
you,  my  dear  little  Prince,  for  the  happiest  experience 
of  my  hfe.  I  shall  never  forget  this  hour."  He  looked' 
boldly  into  her  eyes,  and  not  at  the  Prince.  "Have  you 
ever  been  in  New  York.?"  he  asked  abruptly. 

He  was  not  at  all  sure  whether  the  look  she  gave  him 
was  one  of  astonishment  or  resentment.  At  any  rate, 
it  was  a  quick  glance,  followed  by  the  palpable  suppres- 
sion of  words  that  first  came  to  her  lips,  and  the  substi- 
tution of  a  very  polite: 

"Yes,  and  I  love  it."     He  beamed.     The  smile  that 


78  TRUXTON  KING 

came  into  her  eyes  escaped  him.     If  he  could  have  seen 
it,  his  bewilderment  would  have  been  sadly  increased. 

"Say!"  whispered  the  Prince,  dropping  back  as  if  to 
impart  a  grave  secret.  "See  that  man  over  there  by  the 
fountain,  Mr.  King?" 

"Bobby!"   cried  the   lady   sharply.      "Good-bye,   Mr. 
King.     Remember  me  to  your  sister  when  you  write. 
'  She—" 

"That's  Aunt  Loraine's  beau,"  announced  the  Prince. 
"That's  Count  Eric  Vos  Engo."  Truxton's  look  turned 
to  one  of  interest  at  once.  The  man  designated  was  a 
slight,  swarthy  fellow  in  the  uniform  of  a  colonel.  He 
did  not  appear  to  be  particularly  happy  at  the  moment. 

The  American  observed  the  lady's  dainty  ears.  They 
had  turned  a  delicate  pink. 

"May  I  ask  who — "  began  Truxton  timidly. 

"She  will  know  if  you  merely  call  me  Loraine." 

"So  long,"  said  the  Prince. 

They  parted  company  at  once,  the  Prince  and  the 
lady  in  the  rajah  silk  going  toward  the  Castle,  King 
toward  the  gates,  somewhat  dazed  and  by  no  means 
sure  of  his  senses.  He  came  down  to  earth  after  he 
had  marched  along  on  air  for  some  distance,  so  to  speak, 
and  found  himself  deciding  that  she  was  a  duchess  here, 
but  Loraine  at  school.  What  a  wonderful  place  a 
girl's  school  must  be !  And  his  sister  knew  her — knew  a 
,  lady  of  high  degree ! 

'    "Hobbs !"  he  called,  catching  sight  of  a  dejected  figure 
in  front  of  the  chief  steward's  door. 

"Oh,  it's  you,  is  it.?"  said  IVIr.  Hobbs  sullenly. 

"It  is,  Hobbs — very  much  me.  I've  been  fishing  with 
royalty  and  chatting  with  the  nobihty.  Where  the 
devil  have  you  been  ?" 

"I've  been   squaring  it  with  old  man  Fraasch.     I'm 


TRUXTON  TRESPASSES  79 

through  with  you,  sir.  No  more  for  me,  not  if  I 
know — " 

"Come  along,  Hobbs,"  said  the  other  bhthely,  taking 
Hobbs  by  the  arm.     "The  Prince  sent  his  love  to  you." 

"Did  he  mention  Cook's?"  gasped  Hobbs. 

"He  certainly  did,"  lied  Truxton.  "He  spoke  of  you 
most  kindly.  He  wondered  if  you  could  find  time  to 
come  around  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    COMMITTEE   OF    TEN 

It  has  been  said  before  that  Truxton  King  was  the 
unsuspecting  object  of  interest  to  two  sets  of  watchers. 
The  fact  that  he  was  under  the  surveillance  of  the 
government  police,  is  not  surprising  when  we  consider 
the  evident  thoroughness  of  that  department ;  but  that 
he  should  be  continually  watched  by  persons  of  a  more 
sinister  cast  suggests  a  mystery  which  can  be  cleared 
up  by  visiting  a  certain  underground  room,  scarce  two 
blocks  from  the  Tower  of  Graustark.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  corporeal  admittance  to  this  room  was  not  to 
be  obtained  easily.  In  fact,  one  must  belong  to  a  certain 
band  of  individuals ;  and,  in  order  to  belong  to  that 
band,  one  must  have  taken  a  very  solemn  pledge  of 
eternal  secrecy  and  a  primal  oath  to  devote  his  hfe  to 
certain  purposes,  good  or  evil,  according  to  his  con- 
science. By  means  of  the  friendly  Sesame  that  has 
opened  the  way  for  us  to  the  gentler  secrets,  we  are  per- 
mitted to  enter  this  forbidding  apartment  and  listen  in 
safety  to  the  ugly  business  of  the  Committee  of  Ten. 

There  were  two  ways  of  reaching  this  windowless 
room,  with  its  low  ceilings  and  dank  airs.  If  one  had 
the  secret  in  his  possession,  he  could  go  down  through 
the  mysterious  trap  door  in  the  workshop  of  William 
Spantz,  armourer  to  the  Crown ;  or  he  might  come  up 
through  a  hidden  aperture  in  the  walls  of  the  great 
government  sewer,  which  ran  directly  parallel  with  and 
far  below  the  walls  of  the  quaint  old  building.  One 
could  take  his  choice  of  direction  in  approaching  this 
hole  in  the  huge  sewer :  he  could  come  up  from  the  river, 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  TEN  81 

half  a  mile  away,  or  he  could  come  down  from  the  hills 
above  if  he  had  the  courage  to  drop  through  one  of  the 
intakes. 

It  is  of  special  significance  that  the  trap  door  in 
Spantz's  workshop  was  reserved  for  use  by  the  armourer 
and  his  more  fastidious  comrades — of  whom  three  were 
women  and  one  an  established  functionary  in  the  Royal 
Household.  One  should  not  expect  ladies  to  traverse  a 
sewer  if  other  ways  are  open  to  them.  The  manner  of 
reaching  the  workshop  was  not  so  simple,  however,  as 
you  might  suppose.  The  street  door  was  out  of  the 
question,  with  Dangloss  on  the  watch,  day  and  night. 
As  much  can  be  said  for  the  rear  door.  It  was  neces- 
sary, therefore,  that  the  favored  few  should  approach 
the  shop  by  extraordinary  paths.  For  instance,  two  of 
the  women  came  through  friendly  but  unknown  doors 
in  the  basements  of  adjoining  houses,  reaching  the 
workshop  by  the  narrow  stairs  leading  up  from  a  cob- 
webby wine-cellar  next  door.  Spantz  and  Olga  Plata- 
nova,  of  course,  were  at  home  in  the  place.  All  of 
which  may  go  to  prove  that  while  ten  persons  comprised 
the  committee,  at  least  as  many  more  of  the  shopkeepers 
in  that  particular  neighbourhood  were  in  sympath}^  with 
their  secret  operations. 

So  cleverly  were  all  these  means  of  approach  concealed 
-and  so  stealthy  the  movements  of  the  Committee, that  the 
existence  of  this  underground  room^  far  below  the  street 
level,  was  as  yet  unsuspected  by  the  police.  More  than 
that,  the  existence  of  the  Committee  of  Ten  as  an  or- 
ganisation was  unknown  to  the  department,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  it  had  been  working  quietly, 
seriously  for  more  than  a  year. 

The  Committee  of  Ten  represented  the  brains  and  the 
activity  of  a  rabid  coterie  in  Edelweiss,  among  them-= 


82  TRUXTON  KING 

selves  styled  the  Party  of  Equals.  In  plain  language, 
they  were  "Reds."  Less  than  fifty  persons  in  Graustark 
were  affiliated  with  this  particular  community  of  an- 
archists. For  more  than  a  year  they  had  been  preparing 
themselves  against  the  all-important  hour  for  public 
declaration.  Their  ranks  had  been  augmented  by  oc- 
casional recruits  from  other  lands ;  their  literature  was 
circulated  stealthily ;  their  operations  were  as  secret  as 
the  grave,  so  far  as  the  outside  world  v/as  concerned. 
And  so  the  poison  sprung  up  and  thrived  unhindered  in 
the  room  below  the  street,  growing  in  virulence  and 
power  under  the  very  noses  of  the  vaunted  police  of 
Edelweiss,  slowly  developing  into  a  power  that  would 
some  day  assert  itself  with  diabolical  fur}^ 

There  were  men  and  women  from  Axphain  and  Daws- 
bergen  in  this  seed  circle  that  made  Edelweiss  its  spread- 
ing ground.  They  were  Reds  of  the  most  dangerous 
type — silent,  voiceless,  crafty  men  and  women  who  built 
well  without  noise,  and  who  gave  out  nothing  to  the 
world  from  which  they  expected  to  take  so  much. 

The  nominal  leader  was  William  Spantz,  he  who  had  a 
son  in  the  Prince's  household,  Julius  Spantz,  the  Master- 
of-arms.  Far  off  in  the  hills  above  the  Danube  there 
lived  the  real  leader  of  this  deadly  group — the  Iron 
Count  Marlanx,  exile  from  the  land  of  his  birth,  hated 
and  execrated  by  every  loyal  Graustarkian,  hating  and 
execrating  in  return  with  a  tenfold  greater  venom. 
Marlanx,  the  man  who  had  been  driven  from  wealth  and 
power  by  the  sharp  edict  of  Prince  Robin's  mother,  the 
lamented  Yetive,  in  the  days  of  her  most  glorious  reign, 
— this  man,  deep  in  his  raging  heart,  was  in  complete 
accord  with  the  desperate  band  of  Reds  who  preached 
equality  and  planned  disaster. 

Olga  Platanova  was  the  latest  acquisition  to  this  select 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  TEN  83 

circle.  A  word  concerning  her:  she  was  the  daughter 
of  Professor  Platanova,  one  time  oculist  and  sociolo- 
gist in  a  large  German  University.  He  had  been  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  men  in  Europe  and  a  member  of  a 
noble  family.  There  was  welcome  for  him  in  the  homes 
of  the  nobility ;  he  hobnobbed,  so  to  speak,  with  the 
leading  men  of  the  Empire.  The  Platanova  home  in 
Warsaw  was  one  of  the  most  inviting  and  exclusive  in 
that  great  city.  The  professor's  enthusiasm  finally  car- 
ried him  from  the  conser^-ative  paths  in  which  he  had 
walked;  after  he  had  passed  his  fiftieth  year  he  became 
an  avowed  leader  among  the  anarchists  and  revolution- 
ists in  Poland,  his  native  state.  Less  than  a  year  before 
the  opening  of  this  tale  he  was  executed  for  treason  and 
conspiracy  against  the  Empire. 

His  daughter,  Olga,  was  recognised  as  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  cultured  young  women  in  Warsaw.  Her 
suitors  seemed  to  be  without  number :  nor  were  they  con- 
fined to  the  student  and  untitled  classes  with  whom  she 
was  naturally  thrown  by  force  of  circumstance.  More 
than  one  lordly  adventurer  in  the  lists  of  love  paid 
homage  to  her  grace  and  beauty.  Finally  there  came 
one  who  conquered  and  was  beloved.  He  was  the  son  of 
a  mighty  duke,  a  prince  of  the  blood. 

It  was  true  love  for  both  of  them.  The  young  prince 
pledged  himself  to  marry  her,  despite  all  opposition; 
he  was  ready  to  give  up  his  noble  inheritance  for  the 
sake  of  love.  But  there  were  other  forces  greater  than 
a  young  man's  love  at  work.  The  all-powerful  ruler  of 
an  Empire  learned  of  this  proposed  mesalliance  and  was 
horrified.  Two  weeks  afterward  the  prince  was  called. 
The  will  of  the  Crown  was  made  known  to  him  and — he 
obeyed.  Ol^a  Platanova  was  cast  aside  but  not  forgot- 
ten.     He  became  the  husband  of  an  unloved,  scrawny 


84  TRUXTON  KING 

ladj  of  diadems.  When  the  situation  became  more  than 
he  could  bear  he  blew  out  his  brains. 

When  Olga  heard  the  news  of  his  death  she  was  not 
stricken  by  grief.  She  cried  out  her  joy  to  a  now  cloud- 
less sky,  for  he  had  justified  the  great  love  that  had 
been  theirs  and  would  be  theirs  to  the  end  of  time. 

From  a  passive  believer  in  the  doctrines  of  her  father 
and  his  circle  she  became  at  once  their  most  impassioned 
exponent.  Over  night  she  changed  from  a  gentle- 
hearted  girl  into  a  woman  whose  breast  flamed  with  a 
lust  for  vengeance  against  a  class  from  which  death 
alone  could  free  her  lover.  She  threw  herself,  heart  and 
soul,  into  the  deliberations  and  transactions  of  the  great 
red  circle :  hei*  father  understood  and  yet  was  amazed. 

Then  he  was  put  to  death  by  the  class  she  had  come  to 
hate.  One  more  stone  in  the  sepulchre  of  her  tender, 
girlish  ideals.  When  the  time  came  she  travelled  to 
Graustark  in  response  to  the  call  of  the  Committee  of 
Ten ;  she  came  prepared  to  kill  the  creature  she  would 
be  asked  to  kill.  And  yet  down  in  her  heart  she  was 
sore  afraid. 

She  was  there,  not  to  kill  a  man  grown  old  in  wrongs 
to  her  people,  but  to  destroy  the  life  of  a  gentle,  inno- 
cent boy  of  seven! 

There  were  times  when  her  heart  shrank  from  the  un- 
holy deed  she  had  been  selected  to  perform;  she  even 
prayed  that  death  might  come  to  her  before  the  hour  in 
which  she  was  to  do  this  execrable  thing  in  behalf  of  the 
humanity  she  served.  But  there  was  never  a  thought 
of  receding  from  the  bloody  task  set  down  for  her — a 
task  so  morbid,  so  horrid  that  even  the  most  vicious  of 
men  gloated  in  the  satisfaction  that  they  had  not  been 
chosen  in  licr  place.  Weeks  before  she  came  to  Grau- 
stark Olga  Platanova  had  been  chosen  by  lot  to  be  the 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  TEN  85 

one  to  do  this  diabolical  murder.  She  did  not  flinch, 
but  came  resolute  and  ready.  Even  the  men  in  the  Com- 
mittee of  Ten  looked  upon  the  slender,  dark-eyed  girl 
with  an  awe  that  could  not  be  conquered.  She  had  not 
the  manner  of  an  assassin,  and  yet  they  knew  that  she 
would  not  draw  back ;  she  was  as  soft  and  as  sweet  as  the 
Madonnas  they  secretly  worshipped,  and  yet  her  heart 
was  steeled  to  a  purpose  that  appalled  the  fiercest  of 
them. 

On  a  Saturday  night,  following  the  last  visit  of  Trux- 
ton  King  to  the  armourer,  the  Committee  of  Ten  met  in 
the  underground  room  to  hear  the  latest  word  from  one 
who  could  not  be  with  them  in  person,  but  was  always 
there  in  spirit — if  they  were  to  believe  his  most  zealous 
utterances.  The  Iron  Count  Marlanx,  professed  hater 
of  all  that  was  rich  and  noble,  was  the  power  behind  the 
Committee  of  Ten.  The  assassination  of  the  little 
Prince  and  the  overthrow  of  the  royal  family  awaited 
his  pleasure:  he  was  the  man  who  would  give  the  word. 

Not  until  he  was  ready  could  anything  be  done,  for 
Marlanx  had  promised  to  put  the  Committee  of  Ten  in 
control  of  this  pioneer  community  when  it  came  under 
the  dominion  of  anarchists. 

Alas,  for  the  Committee  of  Ten!  The  wiliest  fox  in 
the  history  of  the  world  was  never  so  wily  as  the  Iron 
Count.  Some  day  they  were  to  find  out  that  he  was 
using  them  to  pull    his  choicest  chestnuts  from  the  fire. 

The  Committee  was  seated  around  the  long  table  in  the 
stifling,  breathless  room,  the  armourer  at  the  head. 
Those  who  came  by  wa}^  of  the  sewer  had  performed 
ablutions  in  the  queer  toilet  room  that  once  had  been  a 
secret  vault  for  the  storing  of  feudal  plunder.  What 
air  there  was  came  from  the  narrow  ventilator  that  bur- 
rowed its  ways  up  to  the  shop  of  William  Spantz,  or 


86  TRUXTON  KING 

through  the  chimney-hole  in  the  ceiling.  Olga  Plata* 
nova  sat  far  down  the  side,  a  moody,  inscrutable  expres- 
sion in  her  dark  eyes.  She  sat  silent  and  oppressed 
through  all  the  acrid,  bitter  discussions  which  carried 
the  conclave  far  past  the  midnight  hour.  In  her  heart 
she  knew  that  these  men  and  women  were  already  think- 
ing of  her  as  a  regicide.  It  was  settled — it  was  ordained. 
At  Spantz's  right  lounged  Peter  Brutus,  a  lawyer — * 
formerly  secretary  to  the  Iron  Count  and  now  his  sole 
representative  among  these  people.  He  was  a  dark- 
faced,  snaky-eyed  young  man,  with  a  mop  of  coarse 
black  hair  that  hung  ominously  low  over  his  high,  re- 
ceding forehead.  This  man  was  the  chosen  villain 
among  ail  the  henchmen  who  came  at  the  beck  and  call 
of  the  Iron  Count. 

Julius  Spantz,  the  armourer's  son,  a  placid  young  man 
of  goodly  phj'sical  proportions,  sat  next  to  Brutus, 
while  down  the  table  ranged  others  deep  in  the  considera- 
tion of  the  world's  gravest  problems.  One  of  the  women 
was  Madame  Drovnask,  whose  husband  had  been  sent 
to  Siberia  for  life ;  and  the  other,  Anna  Cromer,  a  Tabid 
Red  lecturer,  who  had  been  driven  from  the  United 
States,  together  with  her  amiable  husband:  an  assas- 
sin of  some  distinction  and  many  aliases,  at  present 
foreman  in  charge  of  one  of  the  bridge-building  crews 
on  the  new  railroad. 

Every  man  in  the  party,  and  there  were  eight,  for 
Olga  was  not  a  member  of  the  Ten,  wore  over  the  lower 
part  of  his  face  a  false  black  beard  of  huge  dimensions. 
Not  that  they  were  averse  to  recognition  among  them- 
selves, but  in  the  fear  that  by  some  hook  or  crook  Dan- 
gloss  or  his  agents  might  be  able  to  look  in  upon  them — 
through  stone  walls,  as  it  were.  They  were  not  men  to 
belittle  the  powers  of  the  wonderful  Baron. 


THE  C0M:\IITTEE  of  ten  87 

As  it  sat  in  secret  conclave,  the  Committee  of  Ten  was 
a  sinister-looking  group. 

Brutus  was  speaking.  "The  man  is  a  spy.  He  has 
been  brought  here  from  America  by  Tullis.  Sooner  or 
later  you  will  find  that  I  am  right." 

"It  is  best  to  keep  close  watch  on  him,"  advised  one 
of  the  men.  "We  know  that  he  is  in  communication  with 
the  pohce  and  we  know  that  he  visits  the  Castle,  despite 
his  declaration  that  he  knows  no  one  there.  To-day's 
experience  proves  that.  I  submit  that  the  strictest  cau- 
tion be  observed  where  he  is  concerned." 

"We  shall  continue  to  watch  his  every  movement,"  said 
William  Spantz.  "Time  will  tell.  When  we  are  posi- 
tive that  he  is  a  detective  and  that  he  is  dangerous,  there 
is  a  way  to  stop  his  operations." 

His  son  grinned  amiably  as  he  swept  his  finger  across 
his  throat.     The  old  man  nodded. 

"Dangloss  suspects  m.ore  than  one  of  us,"  ventured 
Brutus,  his  gaze  tra.veliing  toward  Olga.  There  was 
lewd  admiration  in  that  steady  glance.  "But  we'll  fool 
the  old  fox.  The  tim.e  will  soon  be  here  for  the  blow 
that  frees  Graustark  from  the  yoke.  She  will  be  the 
pioneer  among  our  estates,  we  the  first  of  the  indi\^duals 
in  equality :  here  the  home  seat  of  perfect  rulership. 
There  is  nothing  that  can  stop  us.  Have  we  not  the 
most  powerful  of  friends.^  Who  is  greater  and 
shrewder  than  Count  Marlanx.^  AMio  could  have 
planned  and  perfected  an  organization  so  splendid.'' 
Will  any  one  dispute  this.^" 

He  had  the  floor,  and  having  the  floor  means  every^ 
thing  to  a  Red.  For  half  an  hour  he  spoke  with  impas- 
sioned fervour,  descanting  furiously  on  the  amazing 
virtues  of  his  wily  master  and  the  plans  he  had  ar- 
ranged.    It  appeared  in  the  course  of  his  remarks  that 


88  TRUXTON  KING 

Marlanx  had  friends  and  supporters  in  all  parts  of 
Graustark.  Hundreds  of  men  in  the  hills,  including 
honest  shepherds  and  the  dishonest  brigands  who 
thrived  on  them,  coal  miners  and  wood  stealers,  hunters 
and  outlaws  were  ready  to  do  his  bidding  when  the  time 
was  ripe.  Moreover,  Marlanx  had  been  successful  in^ 
his  design  to  fill  the  railway  construction  crews  with  the 
riff-raff  of  all  Europe,  all  of  whom  were  under  the 
control  of  leaders  who  could  sway  them  in  any  move- 
ment, provided  it  was  against  law  and  order.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  according  to  Binitus,  nearly  a  thousand 
aliens  were  at  work  on  the  road,  all  of  them  ready  to 
revolt  the  instant  the  command  was  given  by  their 
advisers. 

Something  that  the  Committee  of  Ten  did  not  know 
was  this :  those  ahen  workmen  were  no  less  than  so  many 
hired  mercenaries  in  the  employ  of  the  Iron  Count, 
brought  together  by  that  leader  and  his  agents  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  overthrowing  the  Crown  in  one  sudden, 
unexpected  attack,  whereupon  Count  Marlanx  would 
step  in  and  assume  control  of  the  government.  They 
had  been  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  do  the 
bidding  of  this  despised  nobleman,  no  matter  to  what 
lengths  he  might  choose  to  lead  them.  Brutus,  of 
course,  knew  all  this:  his  companions  on  the  Committee 
were  in  complete  ignorance  of  the  true  motives  that 
brought  Marlanx  into  their  operations. 

With  a  cunning  that  commands  admiration,  the  Iron 
Count  deliberately  sanctioned  the  assassination  of  the 
little  Prince  by  the  Reds,  knowing  that  the  condemna- 
tion of  the  world  would  fall  upon  them  instead  of  upon 
him,  and  that  his  own  actions  following  the  regicide 
would  at  once  stamp  him  as  irrevocably  opposed  to 
anarch^^  and  all  of  its  practices ! 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  TEN  89 

In  the  course  of  his  remarks,  Peter  Brutus  touched 
hastily  upon  the  subject  of  the  Httle  Prince. 

''He's  not  very  big,"  said  he,  with  a  laugh,  "and  it 
won't  require  a  very  big  bomb  to  blow  him  to  smither- 
eens.   He  will — " 

"Stop  !"  cried  Olga  Platanova,  springing  to  her  feet 
and  slarins  at  him  with  dilated  eves.  "I  cannot  listen 
to  you !  You  shall  not  speak  of  it  in  that  way  !  Peter 
Brutus,  you  are  not  to  speak  of — of  what  I  am  to  do! 
Never — never  again  !" 

They  looked  at  her  in  amazement  and  no  Httle  concern. 
Madame  Drovnask  was  the  first  to  speak,  her  glitter- 
ing eves  fastened  upon  the  drawn,  white  face  of  the 
girl  across  the  table. 

"Are  you  going  to  fail.^  Are  you  weakening?"  she 
demanded. 

"No !  I  am  not  going  to  fail !  But  I  will  not  permit 
any  one  to  jest  about  the  thing  I  am  to  do.  It  is  a 
sacred  duty  with  me.  But,  Madame  Drovnask — all 
of  you,  hsten — it  is  a  cruel,  diabolical  thing,  just  the 
same.  Were  it  not  in  behalf  of  our  great  humanity, 
I,  myself,  should  call  it  the  blackest  piece  of  cruelty  the 
world  has  ever  known.  The  slaughter  of  a  little  boy! 
A  dear,  innocent  little  boy !  I  can  see  the  horror  in  all 
of  your  faces !  You  shudder  as  you  sit  there,  thinking 
of  the  thing  I  am  to  do.  Yes,  you  are  secretly  despising 
me,  your  instrument  of  death!  I — I,  a  girl,  I  am  to 
cast  the  bomb  that  blows  this  dear  little  body  to  pieces. 
I!  Do  you  know  what  that  means .^  Even  though  I 
am  sure  to  be  blown  to  pieces  by  the  same  agent,  the 
last  thing  I  shall  look  upon  is  his  dear,  terrified  little 
face  as  he  watches  me  hurl  the  bomb.     Ah!" 

She  shuddered  violently  as  she  stood  there  before  them, 
her  eves  closed  as  if  to  shut  out  the  horrible  picture 


90  TRUXTOX  KIXG 

her  mind  was  painting.  There  were  other  white  faces 
and  ice-cold  veins  about  the  table.  The  sneer  on  Anna 
Cromer's  face  deepened. 

"Slie  will  bungle  it,*'  came  in  an  angry  hiss  from  her 
lips. 

Olga's  lids  were  lifted.  Her  dark  ej-es  looked  straight 
^into  those  of  the  older  woman. 

*'Xo,"  she  said  quietly,  her  body  relaxing,  "I  shall  not 
bungle  it." 

William  Spantz  had  been  watching  her  narrowly,  even 
suspiciously.     Xow  his  face  cleared. 

"She  will  not  fail,"  he  announced  calmly.  "Let  there 
be  no  apprehension.  She  is  the  daughter  of  a  mart^^r. 
Her  blood  is  his.  It  will  flow  in  the  same  cause.  Sit 
down,  Olga,  my  dear.  We  will  not  touch  upon  this 
subject  again — until — " 

"I  know,  uncle,"  she  said  quietly,  resuming  her  seat 
and  her  attitude  of  indifference. 

The  discussion  went  back  to  Truxton  King.  "Isn't  it 
possible  that  he  is  merely  attracted  b}"  the  beauty  of 
our  charming  j'oung  friend  here.^"  ventured  Madame 
Drovnask,  after  many  opinions  had  been  advanced  re- 
specting his  interest  in  the  shop  and  its  contents.  "It 
is  a  habit  with  Americans,  I  am  told." 

"Miss  Platanova  is  most  worthy  of  the  notice  of  any 
man,"  agreed  Brutus,  with  an  amiable  leer.  Olga 
iseemed  to  shrink  within  herself.  It  was  plain  that  she 
was  not  a  kindred  spirit  to  these  vicious  natures. 

"It  is  part  of  his  game,"  said  Julius  Spantz.  "He 
knows  Olga's  past ;  he  is  waiting  for  a  chance  to  catch 
her  off  her  guard.  He  may  even  go  so  far  as  to  make 
pretty  love  to  you,  cousin,  in  the  hope  that — no  offence, 
my  dear,  no  offence !"     Her  look   had  silenced  him. 

"Mr.  King  is  not  a  spy,"  she  said  steadily. 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  TEN  91 

**Well,"  concluded  William  Spantz,  "we  are  safe  if 
W2  take  no  chances  with  him.  He  must  be  watched  all 
the  time.  If  we  discover  that  he  is  what  some  of  us 
think  he  is,  there  is  a  way  to  end  his  usefulness." 

"Let  him  keep  away  from  the  shop  downstairs,"  said 
Peter  Brutus,  with  a  sidelong  glance  at  the  delicate 
profile  of  the  girl  down  the  table. 

She  smiled  suddenly,  to  the  amazement  of  her  sinister 
companions. 

"Have  no  fear,  Brutus.  ^Yhen  he  hears  that  you 
object,  he  will  be  very  polite  and  give  us  a  wide  berth," 
she  said.     Peter  flushed  angrily. 

"He  doesn't  mean  any  good  by  you,"  he  snapped. 
"He'll  fool  you  and — poof!     Away  he  goes,  rejoicing." 

She  still  smiled.  "You  have  a  very  good  opinion  of 
me,  Peter  Brutus." 

"Well,"  doggedly,  "you  know  what  men  of  his  type 
think  of  shopgirls.  They  consider  them  legitimate 
prey." 

"And  what,  pray,  do  men  of  your  type  think  of  us?" 
she  asked  quietly. 

"Enough  of  this,"  interposed  William  Spantz.  "Now, 
Brutus,  what  does  Count  Marlanx  say  to  this  day  two 
weeks  ?  Will  he  be  ready  ?  On  that  day  the  Prince  and 
the  Court  are  to  witness  the  unveiling  of  the  Yetive 
memorial  statue  in  the  Plaza.  It  is  a  full  holiday  in 
Graustark.  No  man  will  be  employed  at  his  usual  task 
and—" 

Brutus  interrupted  him.  "That  is  the  very  day  that 
the  Count  has  asked  me  to  submit  to  the  Committee. 
He  believes  it  to  be  the  day  of  all  days.  Nothing  should 
go  amiss.  We  conquer  with  a  single  blow.  B}''  noon 
of  that  day,  the  ^6th  of  July,  the  Committee  of  Ten 
will  be  in  control  of  the  State-,  the  new  regime  will  be 


92  TRUXTON  KING 

at  hand.  A  new  world  will  be  begun,  with  Edelweiss  as 
the  centre,  about  which  all  the  rest  shall  revolve.  We 
— the  Committee  of  Ten — will  be  its  true  founders.  We 
shall  be  glorified  forever — " 

"We've  heard  all  this  before,  Brutus,"  said  Julius 
Spantz  unfeelingly,  "a  hundred  times.  It's  talk,  talk, 
talk!  What  we  need  now  is  action.  Are  we  sure  that 
the  Count  will  be  prepared  to  do  all  that  he  says  he 
will  on  the  26th  of  July.^  Will  he  have  his  plans  per- 
fected?   Are  his  forces  read}^  for  the  stroke.^" 

"Positively.  They  await  the  word.  That's  all  I  can 
say,"  growled  Peter.  "The  death  of  the  Prince  is  the 
signal  for  the  overthrow  of  the  present  government  and 
the  establishment  of  the  new  order  of  equal  humanity." 

"After  all,"  mused  Julius,  Master-at-arms  in  the 
Castle,  "it  is  more  humane  to  slay  the  Prince  while  he 
is  young.  It  saves  him  from  a  long  life  of  trouble  and 
fear  and  the  constant  dread  of  the  very  thing  that  is  to 
happen  to  him  now.  Yes,  it  is  best  that  it  should  come 
soon."    Down  in  his  heart,  Julius  loved  the  little  Prince. 

For  an  hour  longer  the  Committee  discussed  plans  for 
the  eventful  day.  Certain  details  were  left  for  future 
deliberations ;  each  person  had  his  part  to  play  and 
each  one  was  settled  in  his  or  her  determination  that 
nothing  should  go  amiss. 

The  man  they  feared  was  Dangloss.  They  did  not 
fear  God! 

When  they  dispersed  for  the  night,  it  was  to  meet 
again  three  days  hence  for  the  final  word  from  Marlanx, 
who,  it  seems,  was  not  so  far  away  that  communication 
with  him  was  likely  to  be  delayed.  A  sword  hung  over 
the  head  of  Truxton  King,  an  innocent  outsider,  and 
there  was  a  prospect  that  it  would  fall  in  advance  of 
the  blow  that  was  intended  to  startle  the  world.     Olga 


THE  COMMITTEE  OF  TEN  93 

Platanova  was  the  only  one  who  did  not  look  upon  the 
sprightW  American  as  a  spy  in  the  employ  of  the 
government — a  dangerously  clever  spy  at  that. 

Up  in  the  distant  hills  slept  the  Iron  Count,  dreaming 
of  the  day  when  he  should  rule  over  the  new  Graustark 
— for  he  would  rule! — a  smile  on  his  grizzled  face  in 
reflection  of  recent  waking  thoughts  concerning  the 
punishment  that  should  fall  swiftly  upon  the  assassins 
of  the  beloved  Prince  Robin. 

He  would  make  short  shrift  of  assassins  I 


CHAPTER  VI 

INGOMEDE    THE    BEAUTIFUL 

A  LIGHT,  chilling  drizzle  had  been  falling  all  evening, 
pattering  softly  upon  the  roof  of  leaves  that  covered 
the  sidewalks  along  Castle  Avenue,  glistening  on  the 
lamp-lit  pavements  and  blowing  ever  so  gently  in  the 
faces  of  those  who  walked  in  the  dripping  shades.  Far 
back  from  the  shimmering  sidewalks,  surrounded  by  the 
blackest  of  shadows,  and  approached  by  hedge-bordered 
paths  and  driveways,  stood  the  mansions  occupied  by 
the  nobility  of  this  gay  little  kingdom.  A  score  or  more 
cf  ancient  palaces,  in  which  the  spirit  of  modern  aggres- 
sion had  wrought  interior  changes  but  had  left  the  ex- 
teriors untouched,  formed  this  aristocratic  line  of 
homes.  Here  were  houses  that  had  been  built  in  the 
fifteenth  century, — great,  square,  solemn-looking  struc- 
tures, grown  grey  and  green  with  age. 

There  were  lights  in  a  thousand  windows  along  this 
misty,  royal  road — lights  that  reflected  the  pleasures 
of  the  rich  and  yet  caused  no  envy  in  the  hearts  of  the 
loyal  poor. 

Almost  in  the  centre  of  the  imposing  line  stood  the 
home  of  the  Duke  of  Perse,  Minister  of  Finance,  flanked 
on  either  side  by  structures  as  grim  and  as  gay  as 
itself,  yet  far  less  significant  in  their  generation.  Here 
dwelt  the  most  important  man  in  the  principality,  not 
excepting  the  devoted  prime  minister  himself.  Not  that 
Perse  was  so  well  beloved,  but  that  he^eld  the  destinies 
of  the  land  in  Midas-like  fingers.  More  than  that,  he 
was  the  father  of  the  far-famed  Countess  ]Marlanx,  the 
most    glorious    beauty    at    the    Austrian    and    Russian 


IXGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  95 

courts.  She  had  gone  forth  from  Graustark  as  its  most 
notable  bride  since  the  wedding  day  of  the  Princess 
Yetive,  late  in  the  nineties.  Ingomede,  the  beautiful,  had 
journeyed  far  to  the  hymeneal  altar;  the  husband  who 
claimed  her  was  a  hated,  dishonoured  man  in  his  own 
land.  They  were  married  in  Buda  Pesth.  All  Europe 
pitied  her  at  the  time ;  there  was  but  one  form  of  pro- 
phecy as  to  her  future.  There  were  those  who  went  so 
far  as  to  say  that  her  father  had  delivered  her  into  the 
hands  of  a  latter-day  Bluebeard,  who  whisked  her  off 
into  the  highlands  many  leagues  from  Vienna. 

She  was  seen  no  more  in  the  gay  courts  for  a  year. 
Then,  of  a  sudden,  she  appeared  before  them  all,  as 
dazzlingly  beautiful  as  ever,  but  with  a  haunting,  wist- 
ful look  in  her  dark  eyes  that  could  not  be  mistaken. 
The  old  Count  found  an  uneasy  dehght  in  exhibiting 
her  to  the  world  once  more,  plainly  as  a  bit  of  property 
that  all  men  were  expected  to  look  upon  with  envy 
in  their  hearts.  She  came  up  out  of  the  sombre 
hills,  freed  from  what  must  have  been  nothing  less  than 
captivity  in  that  once  feudal  castle,  to  prove  to  his 
world  that  she  thrived  in  spite  of  prophetic  babblers. 
They  danced  from  court  to  court,  grotesquely  mis- 
mated,  deceiving  no  one  as  to  the  true  relations  that 
existed  between  them.  She  despised  him  without  con- 
cealment;  he  took  pride  in  showing  that  he  could  best 
resent  her  attitude  by  the  most  scrupulous  devotion,  so 
marked  that  its  intent  could  not  be  mistaken. 

Then  the  Duke  of  Perse  resumed  his  residence  in  Edel- 
weiss, opening  the  old  palace  once  more  to  the  world. 
His  daughter,  after  the  death  of  the  Princess,  began  her 
extended  visits  to  the  home  of  her  girlhood.  So  long  as 
the  Princess  was  ahve  she  remained  away  from  Edel- 
weiss, reluctant  to  meet   the  friend  who  had  banished 


96  TRUXTOX  KING 

her  husband  long  before  the  wedding  day  in  Buda  Pesth. 
Now  she  came  frequently  and  stayed  for  weeks  at  a  time, 
apparently  happy  during  these  escapes  from  life  in  the 
great  capitals.  Here,  at  least,  she  was  free  from  the 
grim  old  man  whose  countess  she  was ;  here,  all  was 
sweet  and  warm  and  friendly,  delicious  contrast  to  the 
cold,  bitter  life  she  knew  on  the  Danube. 

Without  warning  she  came  and  without  farewells  she 
left  Edelweiss  on  the  occasion  of  these  periodical  visits. 
No  word  was  ever  spoken  concerning  her  husband,  ex- 
cept on  the  rare  occasions  when  she  opened  her  heart  to 
the  father  who  had  bartered  her  into  slavery  for  the 
sake  of  certain  social  franchises  that  the  Iron  Count 
had  at  his  disposal.  The  outside  world,  which  loved  her, 
never  heard  of  these  bitter  passages  between  father  and 
child.  Like  Cinderella,  she  sometimes  disappeared  from 
joyous  things  at  midnight;  the  next  heard  of  her,  she 
was  in  Vienna,  or  at  Schloss  Marlanx. 

If  the  Duke  of  Perse  repented  of  his  bargain  in  giving 
his  daucrhter  to  the  Iron  Count,  he  was  never  known  to 
intimate  as  much.  He  loved  Ingomede  in  his  own,  hard 
way.  No  doubt  he  was  sorry  for  her.  It  is  a  fact  that 
she  was  sorry  for  him.  She  could  read  his  bitter 
thoughts  more  clearly  than  he  suspected. 

Of  late  she  came  more  frequently  to  Edelweiss  than 
before.  She  was  seen  often  at  the  Castle;  no  court 
function  was  complete  without  the  presence  of  this 
lovely  noblewoman;  no  salon  worth  while  unless  graced 
by  her  wit  and  her  beauty. 

John  Tullis  was  always  to  remember  the  moment  when 
he  looked  upon  this  exquisite  creature  for  the  first  time. 
That  was  months  ago.  After  that  he  never  ceased 
being  a  secret,  silent  worshipper  at  her  transient  shrine. 

Ten   o'clock   on   this   rainy    night :      A    carriage  has 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  97 

drawn  up  before  the  lower  gates  to  the  Perse  grounds, 
and  a  tall,  shadowy  figure  leaves  it  to  hurry  through  the 
shrub  lined  walks  to  the  massive  doors.  A  watchman  in 
the  garden  salutes  him.  The  tall  figure  dips  his  um- 
brella in  response,  characteristically  laconic.  A  foot- 
man lifts  his  hand  to  his  forelock  at  the  top  of  the  steps 
and  throws  open  the  doors  without  question.  This 
visitor  is  expected,  it  is  plain  to  be  seen ;  a  circumstance 
which  may  or  maj^  not  explain  the  nervousness  that  at- 
tends liim  as  he  crosses  the  broad  hall  toward  the 
library. 

TuUis  had  long  since  ceased  to  be  a  welcome  visitor  in 
the  home  of  the  Duke  of  Perse.  The  men  were  openly 
unfnendly  to  each  other.  The  Duke  resented  the  cool 
interference  of  the  sandy-haired  American;  on  the 
other  hand,  Tulhs  made  no  effort  to  conceal  his  dislike, 
if  not  distrust,  of  the  older  man.  He  argued — with 
unofficial  and  somewhat  personal  authoritj^, — that  a 
man  who  could  trade  his  only  child  for  selfish  ends 
might  also  be  impelled  to  sacrifice  his  country's  in- 
terests without  cramping  his  conscience. 

The  Countess  was  alone  in  the  long,  warm-tinted 
library.  She  stood  before  the  dying  embers  in  the 
huge  old  fireplace,  her  foot  upon  one  of  the  great  iron 
dogs.  Her  smiHng  face  was  turned  toward  the  door  as 
he  entered. 

"It  is  good  of  you  to  come,"  she  said,  as  they  shook 
hands  warml3\  "Do  you  know  it  is  almost  a  year  since 
you  last  came  to  this  house?" 

"It  would  be  a  century,  Countess,  if  I  were  not  wel- 
comed in  other  houses  where  I  am  sure  of  a  glimpse  of 
you  from  time  to  time  and  a  word  now  and  then.  Still, 
a  year's  a  year.  The  room  hasn't  changed  so  far  as  I 
can  see.     The  same  old  tiger-skin  there,  the  rugs,  the 


98  TRUXTON  KING 

books,  the  pictures — the  leopard's  skin  here  and  the — ■= 
yes,  the  lamp  is  just  where  it  used  to  be.  Ton  my 
soul,  I  believe  3^ou  are  standing  just  as  you  were  when 
I  last  saw  you  here.  It's  uncanny.  One  might  think 
you  had  not  moved  in  all  these  months !" 

"Or  that  it  has  been  a  minute  instead  of  a  year,"  she 
supplemented.  His  quick,  involuntary  glance  about  him 
did  not  escape  her  understanding.  "The  Duke  has  gone 
to  Ganlook  to  play  Bridge  with  friends,"  she  said  at 
once.  "He  will  not  return  till  late.  I  have  just  tele- 
phoned— to  make  sure."  Her  smile  did  more  than  to 
reassure  him. 

"Of  course,  you  will  understand  how  impossible  it  is 
for  me  to  come  here,  Countess.  Your  father,  the  Duke, 
doesn't  mince  matters,  and  I'm  not  quite  a  fool."  Tullis 
squinted  at  the  fire. 

"Do  you  think  ill  of  me  for  asking  you  to  come 
to-night?" 

"Not  at  all,"  he  said  cheerfully,  "so  long  as  you  are 
quite  sure  that  your  father  is  in  Ganlook.  He  would 
be  perfectly  justified  in  kicking  me  out  if  he  were  te 
catch  me  here.  And  as  I'm  rather  cumbersom.e  and 
he's  somewhat  venerable,  I  don't  like  to  think  of  the 
jar  it  would  be  to  his  system.  But,  so  long  as  he  isn't 
here,  and  I  am,  why  shouldn't  I  draw  up  a  chair  before 
the  fire  for  you,  and  another  for  myself,  with  the 
cigarettes  and  a  world  between  us,  to  discuss  conditions 
as  they  are,  not  as  they  might  be  If  we  were  discovered? 
Shall  1?  Good!  I  defy  any  one's  father  to  get  me  out 
of  this  chair  until  I  am  ready  to  relinquish  it  volun- 
tarily." 

"I  suppose  you  superintended  the  'golng-to-bed'  of 
Prince  Robin  before  you  left  the  Castle.?'"  she  said,  ly- 
inn*  back  in  the  comfortable  chair  and  stretching  her 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  99 

feet  out  to  the  fire.  He  handed  her  a  match  and  watched 
her  light  the  long,  ridiculously  thin  cigarette. 

"Yes.  I  never  miss  it,  Countess.  The  last  thing  he 
does,  after  saying  his  prayers,  is  to  recall  me  from 
exile.  He  wouldn't  be  happy  if  he  couldn't  do  that. 
■  He  says  amen  and  hops  into  bed.  Then  he  grins  in  a 
far  from  imperial  way  and  announces  that  he's  willing 
to  give  me  another  chance,  and  please  won't  I  tell  him 
the  latest  news  concerning  Jack-the-giant-killer.  He 
asked  me  to-night  if  I  thought  you'd  mind  if  he 
banished  your  father.  They've  had  a  children's  quarrel, 
I  believe.  If  you  do  mind,  I  am  to  let  him  know:  he 
won't  banish  him.  He's  very  fond  of  you,  Countess." 
She  laughed  gaily. 

"He  is  a  dear  boy.  I  adore  him.  I  think  I  quite 
understand  why  you  are  giving  up  your  life  to  him.  At 
first  I  wasn't  sure." 

"You  thought  I  expected  to  gain  something  by  it,  is 
not  that  so?  Well,  there  are  a  great  many  people  who 
think  so  still — your  father  among  them.  They'll  never 
understand.  I  don't  blame  them,  for,  I  declare  to  you, 
I  don't  fully  appreciate  it  myself.  John  TuUis  playing 
nurse  and  story-teller  to  a  seven-year-old  boy,  to  the 
exclusion  of  everything  else,  is  more  than  I  can  grasp. 
Somehow,  I've  come  to  feel  that  he's  mine.  That  must 
be  the  reason.  But  you've  heard  me  prate  on  this  sub- 
ject a  hundred  times.  Don't  let  me  start  it  again. 
There's  something  else  you  want  to  talk  to  me  about, 
so  please  don't  encourage  me  to  tell  all  the  wonderful 
things  he  has  said  and  done  to-day." 

"It  is  of  the  Prince  that  I  want  to  speak,  Mr.  Tullis," 
she  said,  suddenly  serious.  "I  don't  care  to  hear 
whether  he  stubbed  his  toe  to-day  or  just  how  much  he 
has  grown  since  yesterday,  but  I  do  want  to  talk  very 


100  TRUXTON  KING 

seriously  with  you  concerning  his  future — I  might  say 
his  immediate  future." 

He  looked  at  her  narrowly, 

"Are  you  quite  serious?" 

"Quite.  I  could  not  have  asked  you  to  come  to  this 
house  for  anything  trivial.  We  have  become  very  good 
friends,  you  and  I.  Too  good,  perhaps,  for  I've  no 
doubt  there  are  old  tabbies  in  Edelweiss  who  are  pro- 
voked to  criticism — ^you  know  what  I  mean.  Their 
world  is  full  of  imaginary  affairs,  else  what  would  there 
be  left  for  old  age?  But  we  are  good  friends  and  we 
understand  why  we  are  good  friends,  so  there's  the  end 
to  that.  As  I  say,  I  could  not  have  asked  so  true  a 
friend  into  the  house  of  his  enemy  for  the  mere  sake 
of  having  my  vanity  pleased  by  his  obedience." 

"I  am  quite  sure  of  that,"  he  said.  "Are  you  in 
trouble,  Countess?     Is  there  an^-thing  I  can  do?" 

"It  has  to  do  with  the  Prince,  not  with  me,"  she  said. 
"And  yet  I  am  in  trouble — or  perhaps  I  should  say,  I 
am  troubled." 

"The  Prince  is  a  sturdy  little  beggar,"  he  began,  but 
she  lifted  her  hand  in  protest. 

"And  he  has  sturdy,  loyal  friends.  That  is  agreed. 
And  yet — "  she  paused,  a  perplexed  line  coming  between 
her  expressive  eyes. 

John   Tullis  opened  his   own   eyes  very  wide.      "You 

don't  mean  to  say  that  he  is — he  is  in  peril  of  any  sort?" 

She  looked  at  him  a  long  time  before  speaking.     He 

could  feel  that  she  was  turning  something  over  in  her 

mind  before  giving  utterance  to  the  thought. 

At  last  she  leaned  nearer  to  him,  dropping  the  ash 
from  her  cigarette  into  the  receiver  as  she  spoke  slowly, 
intensely.     "I  think  he  is  in  peril — in  deadly  peril." 

He  stared  hard.     "What  do  vo;;  rr.can  ?"  he  demanded. 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  101 

with  an  involuntary  glance  over  his  shoulder.  She  inter- 
preted that  glance  correctl}'. 

"The  peril  is  not  here,  Mr.  Tullis.  I  know  what  you 
are  thinking.  My  father  is  a  loyal  subject.  The  peril 
I  suD-crest  never  comes  to  Graustark." 

She  said  no  more  but  leaned  forward,  her  face  whiter 
than  its  wont.  He  frowned,  but  it  was  the  effect  of 
temporar}'  perplexity.  Gradually  the  meaning  of  her 
simple,  though  significant  remark  filtered  through  his 
brain. 

"Never  comes  to  Graustark?"  he  almost  whispered, 
"You  don't — you  can't  mean  your — your  husband?" 

"I  mean  Count  Marlanx,"  she  said  steadily. 

"He  means  evil  to  Prince  Robin?  Good  Heavens, 
Countess,  I — I  can't  believe  it.  I  know  he  is  bitter, 
revengeful,  and  all  that,  but — " 

"He  is  all  that  and  more,"  she  said.  "First,  you  must 
let  me  impress  you  that  I  am  not  a  traitor  to  his  cause. 
I  could  not  be  that,  for  the  sufficient  reason  that  I  only 
suspect  its  existence.  I  am  not  in  any  sense  a  part  of  it. 
I  do  not  hnozv  anything.  I  only  feel.  I  dare  say  3'ou 
realise  that  I  do  not  love  Count  Marlanx — that  there  is 
absolutely  nothing  in  common  between  us  except  a 
name.     We  won't  go  into  that.     I — " 

"I  am  overjoyed  to  hear  you  say  this,  Countess,"  he 
said  very  seriously.  "I  have  been  so  bold  on  occasion 
as  to  assert — for  j^our  private  ear,  of  course — that  you 
could  not,  by  any  freak  of  nature,  happen  to  care  for 
Count  Marlanx,  whom  I  know  only  by  description.  You 
have  laughed  at  my  so-called  American  wit,  and  you 
have  been  most  tolerant.  Now,  I  feel  that  I  am  justified. 
I'm  Immeasurably  glad  to  hear  you  confess  that  you  do 
not  love  your  husband." 

"I  cannot  imagine  an^  one  so  stupid  as  to  think  \)^*, 


102  TRUXTON  KING 

I  do  love  Count  Marlanx  or,  for  that  matter,  that  he 
loves  me.  Still,  I  am  relieved  to  hear  3'ou  say  that  you 
are  glad.  It  simplifies  the  present  for  us,  and  that  is 
what  we  are  to  discuss." 

"You  are  very,  very  beautiful,   and  young,  and  un- 
happy,"   he    said    irrelevantly,    a    darker    glow    in    his, 
cheeks.      She  smiled  serenely,  without  a  trace  of  diffi- 
dence or  protest. 

"I  can  almost  believe  it,  you  say  it  so  convincingly," 
she  said.  For  a  moment  she  relaxed  luxuriantly  into 
an  attitude  of  physical  enjoyment  of  herself,  surveying 
her  toe-tips  with  a  thoughtfulness  that  comprehended 
more;  and  then  as  abruptly  came  back  to  the  business 
of  the  moment.  "You  must  not  spoil  it  all  by  saying 
it  too  fervently,"  she  went  on  with  a  smile  of  warning. 
He  gave  a  short  laugh  of  confusion  and  sank  back  in 
the  chair. 

"You  have  never  tried  to  make  love  to  me,"  she  went 
on.  "That's  what  I  like  about  you.  I  think  most  men 
are  silly,  not  because  I  am  so  very  young,  but  because 
my  husband  is  so  ridiculously  old.  Don't  you  think  so? 
But,  never  mind  1  I  see  you  are  quite  eager  to  answer — - 
that's  enough.  Take  another  cigarette  and — listen  to 
what  I  am  going  to  say."  He  declined  the  cigarette 
with  a  shake  of  his  head. 

After  a  moment  she  went  on  resolutely:  "As  I  said 
before,  I  do  not  know  that  my  suspicions  are  correct. 
I  have  not  even  breathed  them  to  my  father.  He  would' 
have  lauf^hed  at  me.  ]\Iy  husband  is  a  Graustarkian, 
even  as  I  am,  but  there  is  this  distinction  between  us: 
he  despises  Graustark,  while  I  love  her  in  every  drop  of 
my  blood.  I  know  that  in  his  heart  he  has  never  ceased 
to  brew  evil  for  the  throne  that  disgraced  him.  He 
openly  expresses  his  hatred  for  the  present  dynasty, 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  103 

and  has  more  than  once  said  in  public  gatherings  that 
he  could  cheerfully  assist  in  its  utter  destruction.  That, 
of  course,  is  commonly  known  in  Graustark,  where  he  is 
scorned  and  derided.  But  he  is  not  a  man  to  serve  his 
hatred  with  mere  idle  words  and  inaction."  She  stopped 
for  a  moment,  and  then  cried  impulsively:  "I  must 
first  know  that  you  will  not  consider  me  base  and  dis- 
loyal in  saying  these  tilings  to  you.  After  all,  he  is 
m}'  husband." 

He  saw  the  faint  curl  of  her  lip.  "Before  that,"  he 
argued  simply,  "you  were  a  daughter  of  Graustark. 
You  were  not  bom  to  serve  a  cause  that  means  evil  to 
the  dear  land.  Graustark  first  made  you  noble;  you 
can't  go  back  on  that,  you  know.  Don't  let  your  hus- 
band degrade  you.  I  think  you  can  see  how  I  feel  about 
it.     Please  believe  that  I  know  you  can  do  no  wrong." 

"Thank  you,"  she  said,  returning  the  look  in  his 
earnest  grey  eyes  with  one  in  which  the  utmost  con- 
fidence shone.  "You  are  the  only  man  to  whom  I  feel 
sure  that  I  can  reveal  myself  and  be  quite  understood. 
It  isn't  as  if  I  had  positive  facts  to  divulge,  for  I  have 
not;  they  are  suspicions,  fears,  that's  all,  but  they  are 
no  longer  vague  shapes  to  me ;  they  mean  something." 

"Tell  me,"  he  said  quietly.  He  seemed  to  square  his 
broad  shoulders  and  to  set  his  jaw  firmly,  as  if  to  resist 
physical  attack.  She  knew  she  had  come  with  her  fears 
.to  a  man  in  whose  face  it  was  declared  that  he  could 
laugh  at  substance  as  well  as  shadow. 

"I  am  seeing  you  here  in  this  big  room,  openly,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  if  I  am  being  watched  this  manner 
of  meeting  may  be  above  suspicion.  We  may  speak 
freely  here,  for  we  cannot  be  beard  unless  we  raise  our 
voices.  Don't  betray  surprise  or  consternation.  The 
eyes  of  the  wall  may  be  better  than  its  ears." 


104  TRUXTON  KING 

"Ycu  don't  mean  to  saj  you  are  being  watched  here  in 
jour  fathers  house?"  he  demanded. 

"I  don't  know.  This  I  do  know :  the  Count  has  many 
spies  in  Edelweiss.  He  is  systematically  apprised  of 
everything  that  occurs  at  court,  in  the  city,  or  in  the 
council  chamber.  So  3'ou  see,  he  is  being  well  served, 
whether  to  an  evil  purpose  or  to  satisfy  his  own  innate 
curiosity,  I  do  not  know.  Ke  has  reports  almost  daily, 
— voluminous  things,  partly  in  cipher,  partly  free,  and 
he  is  forever  sending  men  away  on  secret,  mysterious  mis- 
sions. Understand,  I  do  not  know  that  he  is  actually 
planning  disaster  to  Graustark.  Da}-  before  yesterday  I 
saw  his  secretary  in  the  streets — a  man  who  has  been  in 
his  employ  for  five  years  or  more  and  who  now  pretends 
to  be  a  lawyer  here.  His  name  is  Brutus.  I  spoke  with 
him.  He  said  that  he  had  left  the  Count  six  weeks  ago 
in  Vienna,  determined  to  set  out  for  himself  in  his  chosen 
profession.  He  knows,  of  course,  that  I  am  not  and 
never  have  been  in  the  confidences  of  my  husband.  I 
asked  him  if  it  was  known  in  Edelweiss  that  he  had 
served  the  Count  as  secretary.  He  promptly  handed 
me  one  of  his  business  cards,  on  which  he  refers  to  him- 
self as  the  former  trusted  and  confidential  secretary  of 
Count  iMarlanx.  Now,  I  happen  to  know  that  he  is  still 
in  my  husband's  service,— or  was  no  longer  ago  than 
last  week." 

"My  dear  Countess,  he  may  be  serving  him  legitimately . 
as  an  attorney.  There  would  be  nothing  strange  in 
that." 

"But  he  is  still  serving  him  as  confidential  secretary. 
He  is  here  for  a  purpose,  as  my  husband's  representa- 
tive. I  have  not  been  asleep  all  these  months  at  Schloss 
Marlanx.  I  have  seen  and  heard  enough  to  convince 
mo  that  some  great  movement  is  on  foot.     My  intelli- 


pil'-Vt^ 


-w: 


; 


-*.    ^*^  '^  ^--:.^, 


'-•^' 


y\ 


YOU  ARE  THE    ONLY    MAN    TO  WHOM    I    FEEL    SURE    THAT    I    CAN 


/  CopjTight,  1909,  by  Dodd,  Me»d  k  Company 


REVEAL  MYSELF  AND  BE  QUITE  UNDIHRSTOOD 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  105 

gence  tells  me  that  it  has  to  do  with  Graustark.     As  he 
wishes  the  Prince  no  good,  it  must  be  for  evil." 

"But  there  is  nothing  he  can  do.  He  has  no  following 
here.  The  Prince  is  adored  by  the  people.  Count 
Marlanx  would  not  be  such  a  fool  as  to — " 

"He  is  no  fool,"  she  interrupted  quickly.  "That's 
why  I  am  afraid.  If  he  is  plotting  against  the  Crown, 
you  may  depend  upon  it  he  is  laying  his  plans  well. 
John  Tullis,  that  man  is  a  devil — a  devil  mcarnate." 
She  turned  her  face  away. 

A  spasm  of  utter  repugnance  crossed  her  face;  she 
shuddered  so  violently  that  his  hand  went  forth  to 
clutch  the  fingers  that  trembled  on  the  arm  of  the  chair. 
He  held  them  in  his  firm  grasp  for  a  moment.  They 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and  he  saw  the  flicker  of 
undisguised  horror  in  hers.  An  instant  later  she  was 
herself  again.  Withdrawing  her  hand,  she  added,  with 
a  short  laugh  of  derision:  "Still  I  did  not  expect 
heaven,  so  why  complain." 

"But  you  are  an  angel,"  he  blurted  out. 

"I  don't  believe  the  Count  will  agree  to  that,"  she 
said,  with  a  reflective  twinkle  in  her  dark  eyes.  "He 
has  not  found  me  especially  angelic.  If  you  imagine 
that  I  cannot  scratch  back,  my  dear  friend,  you  are 
very  much  mistaken.  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  giving 
him  more  than  one  bad  half  hour.  You  may  be  sure 
he  has  never  called  me  an  angel.  Quite  the  other  thing, 
I  assure  you.     But  we  are  straying  from  the  point." 

"Wait  a  moment,  please,"  he  commanded.  "I  want  to 
say  to  you  here  and  now :  you  are  the  gentlest,  loveliest 
woman  I  have  ever  known.  I  don't  say  it  idly.  I  mean 
it.  If  you  gave  him  half  as  good  as  he  sent,  I  rejoice 
in  your  spirit.  Now,  I  want  to  ask  if  you  expect  to 
go  back  to  live  with  the  da — with  him." 


106  TRUXTON  KING 

"That,  Mr.  Tullis,  is  hardly  a  matter  I  can  discuss 
with  you,"  she  said  gently,  and  he  was  not  offended. 

"Perhaps  not,  Countess,  but  now  is  the  time  for  you 
to  decide  the  issue.  Why  should  you  return  to  Castle 
Marlanx?  Why  keep  up  the  farce — or  I  might  say, 
tragedy — an}^  longer.^  You  love  Graustark.  You  love 
the  Prince.  You  betray  them  both  by  consorting  with 
their  harshest  foe.  Oh,  I  could  tell  you  a  thousand 
reasons  why — " 

"We  haven't  time  for  them,"  she  interrupted,  with 
mock  despair  in  her  face.  "Besides,  I  said  we  cannot 
discuss  it.  It  requires  no  learned  argument  to  move 
me,  one  way  or  the  other.     I  can  decide  for  myself." 

"You  should  divorce  him,"  he  said  harshly. 

She  laughed  easily,  softly.  "My  good  friend,  if  I 
did  that,  I'd  lose  your  friendship."  He  opened  his  lips 
to  remonstrate,  but  suddenly  caught  the  undercurrent 
of  the  naive  remark. 

"By  Jove,"  he  said,  his  eyes  glowing,  "  you  must  not 
risk  finding  me  too  obtuse." 

"Bravo !"  she  cried.     "You  are  improving." 

"I  could  provide  a  splendid  substitute  for  the  friend- 
ship you  speak  of,"  he  said  cooll3\ 

"Poof!  What  is  that  to  me?  I  could  have  ^  hundred 
lovers — but,  ach,  friends  are  the  scarcest  things  in  the 
world.  I  prefer  friendship.  It  lasts.  There!  I  see 
hdisapproval  in  your  face!  You  Americans  are  so 
literal."  She  gazed  into  the  fireplace  for  a  moment, 
her  lips  parted  in  a  whimsical  smile.  He  waited  for  hsT 
to  go  on ;  the  words  were  on  her  tongue's  end,  he  could 
tell.  "A  divorce  at  twenty-five.  I  believe  that  is  the 
accepted  age,  isn't  it.^  If  one  gets  beyond  that,  she — 
but,  enough  of  this!"  She  sprang  to  her  feet  and  stood 
before  him,  the  flash  dying  in  her  eyes  even  as  it  was 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  107 

bom  that  he  might  see  so  brie%.  "We  diverge !  You 
must  go  soon.  It  is  best  not  to  be  seen  leaving  here  at 
a  very  late  hour — especially  as  my  father  is  known  to 
be  away.  I  am  afraid  of  Peter  Brutus.  He  is  here  to 
watch — everybody.''^ 

She  was  leaning  against  the  great  carv^ed  mantel  post, 
a  tall,  slender,  lissome  creature,  exquisitely  gowned  in 
rarest  Irish  lace,  her  bare  neck  and  shoulders  gleaming 
white  against  the  dull  timbers  beyond,  the  faint  glow 
from  the  embers  creeping  up  to  her  face  with  the  in- 
sistence of  a  maiden's  flush.  He  gazed  in  rapt  admira- 
tion, his  heart  thumping  Hke  fury  in  his  great  breast. 
She  was  little  more  than  a  girl,  this  wife  of  old  ]\Iarlanx, 
and  yet  how  wise,  how  clever,  how  brilhant  she  was ! 

A  face  of  unusual  pallor  and  extremely  patrician  in 
its  modelling,  surmounted  by  a  coiffure  so  black  that  it 
could  be  compared  only  to  ebony — ^black  and  almost 
gleaming  with  the  life  that  was  in  it.  It  came  low  on 
her  forehead,  shading  the  wondrous  dark  eyes — eyes 
that  were  a  deep  yellowish  green  in  their  division  be- 
tween grey  and  black,  eyes  that  were  soft  and  luminous 
and  unwaveringly  steadfast,  impelling  in  their  power  to 
fascinate,  yet  even  more  dangerously  compassionate 
when  put  to  the  test  that  tries  woman's  vanity. 

There  were  diamonds  on  her  long,  tapering  fingers,  and 
a  rope  of  pearls  in  her  hair.  A  single  wide  gold  band 
encircled  her  arm  above  the  elbow,  an  arm-band  as  old 
as  the  principahty  itself,  for  it  had  been  worn  by 
twenty  fair  ancestors  before  her.  The  noblewomen  of 
Graustark  never  wore  bracelets  on  their  wrists ;  always 
the  wide  chased  gold  band  on  the  upper  arm.  There 
was  a  day,  not  so  far  back  in  history,  when  they  wore 
bands  on  their  ankles. 

She  was  well  named  Ingomede,  the  Beautiful. 


108  TRUXTON  KING 

A  soft,  almost  imperceptible  perfume,  languorous  In 
its  appeal  to  the  senses,  exuded  from  this  perfect  crea- 
tion ;  added  to  this,  the  subtle,  unfailing  scent  of  young 
womanhood;  the  warm,  alive  feel  of  her  presence  in  the 
atmosphere;  a  suggestion  of  something  sensuous,  clean, 
pure,  delicious.     The  undescribable. 

"Does  Baron  Dangloss  know  this  man  Brutus?" 
asked  Tullis,  arising  to  stand  beside  her.  A  sub-con- 
scious, triumphant  thrill  shot  through  him  as  an  in- 
stantaneous flash  of  his  own  phj^sical  superiority  over 
this  girl's  husband  came  over  him.  He  was  young  and 
strong  and  vital.  He  could  feel  the  sensation  of  being 
strong;  he  tingled  with  the  glory  of  it.  He  was 
thirty-five,  Marlanx  seventy.  He  wondered  if 
Marlanx  had  ever  been  as  strong  as  he. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  said  thoughtfully.  "I  have  not 
spoken  to  him  concerning  Brutus.  Perhaps  he  knows. 
The  Baron  is  very  wise.  Let  me  tell  3'ou  how  I  happen 
to  know  that  Peter  Brutus  is  still  serving  Count 
Marlanx  and  why  I  think  his  presence  signifies  a  crisis 
of  some  sort."  Tullis  stood  facing  the  great  fireplace, 
his  back  to  the  hall.  He  observed  that  she  looked 
toward  the  doors  quite  as  often  as  she  looked  at  him; 
it  struck  him  that  she  was  extremely  cautious  despite 
her  apparent  ease. 

Her  voice,  always  low  and  even,  seemed  lower  still. 
"In  the  first  place,  I  have  a  faithful  friend  in  one  of 
'the  oldest  retainers  at  Schloss  Marlanx.  His  daughter 
is  my  maid.  She  is  here  with  me  now.  The  old  man 
came  to  see  Josepha  one  day  last  week.  He  had  ac- 
companied Count  Marlanx  to  the  town  of  Balak,  which 
is  in  Axphain,  a  mile  beyond  the  Graustark  line.  Peter 
Brutus  was  with  my  husband  in  Balak  for  two  days. 
They  were  closeted  together  from  morning  till  night  in 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  109 

the  house  where  Marlanx  was  stopping.  At  the  end 
of  two  days  Brutus  went  away,  but  he  carried  with  him 
a  vast  sum  of  money  provided  by  my  husband.  It  was 
given  out  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  Serros  in  Daws- 
bergen,  where  he  expected  to  purchase  a  business  block 
for  his  master.  Marlanx  waited  another  day  in  Balak, 
permitting  Josepha's  father  to  come  on  to  Edelweiss 
with  a  message  for  me  and  to  sc^  his  daughter.     He — " 

"And  Josepha's  father  saw  Brutus  in  Edelweiss?" 

"No.  But  he  did  see  him  going  into  Balak  as  he  left 
for  Edelweiss  that  morning.  He  wore  a  disguise,  but 
Jacob  says  he  could  not  be  mistaken.  Moreover, he  was  ac- 
companied  by  several  men  whom  he  recognised  as  Grau- 
stark  mountaineers  and  hunters  of  rather  unsavoury 
reputation.  They  left  Brutus  at  the  gates  of  Balak 
and  went  off  into  the  hills.  All  this  happened  before  I 
knew  that  Peter  was  living  in  Edelweiss.  When  I  saw 
him  here,  I  knew  at  once  that  his  presence  meant  some- 
thing sinister.  I  can  put  many  things  together  that 
once  puzzled  me — the  comings  and  goings  of  months, 
the  secret  reports  and  consultations,  the  queer  looking 
men  who  came  to  the  Castle,  the  long  absences  of  my 
husband  and  my — my  own  virtual  imprisonment — yes, 
imprisonment.  I  was  not  permitted  to  leave  the  castle 
for  days  at  a  time  during  his  absences." 

"Surely  you  will  not  go  back  again" — ^he  began  hotly. 

"Shi"  She  put  a  finger  to  her  lips.  A  man-serv^ant 
was  quietly  crossing  the  hall  just  off  the  library.  "He 
is  a  new  m.an.     I  do  not  like  his  appearance." 

"Do  you  think  he  heard  us  or  observed  anything?  I 
can  make  short  work  of  him  if — "  He  paused  signifi- 
cantly.    She  smiled  up  into  his  face. 

"He  did  not  hear  anything.  We've  frightened  him 
off,   if  he   intended  to  play   the  eavesdropper."     The 


110  TRUXTON  KING 

servant  had  disappeared  through  a  door  at  the  end  of 
the  hall. 

"Then  there  were  the  great  sums  of  money  that  my 
husoand  sent  off  from  time  to  time,  and  the  strange 
boxes  that  came  overland  to  the  castle  and  later  went 
away  again  as  secretly  as  the}^  came.  Mr.  Tullis,  I  am 
confident  in  my  mind  that  those  boxes  contained  fire- 
arms and  ammunition.  1  have  thought  it  all  out.  Per- 
haps I  am  wrong,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  I  can  almost 
see  those  firearms  stored  away  in  the  caves  and  cabins 
outside  of  Edelweiss,  ready  for  instant  use  when  the 
signal  comes." 

"God!  An  uprising?  A  plot  so  huge  as  that.?"  he 
gasped,  amazed.  It  is  fortunate  that  he  was  not  facing 
the  door;  the  same  servant,  passing  once  more,  might 
have  seen  the  tell-tale  consternation  in  his  eyes.  "It 
cannot  be  possible!  Wh}',  Dangloss  and  his  men  would 
have  scented  it  long  ago." 

"I  have  not  said  that  I  am  sure  of  anything,  remember 
that.  I  leave  it  to  you  to  analyse.  You  have  the 
foundation  on  which  to  work.  I'd  advise  you  to  waste 
no  time.  Something  tells  me  that  the  crisis  is  near  at 
hand." 

"Why  should  Josepha's  father  tell  these  things  to 
you?" 

"Because,  if  you  will  pardon  my  frankness,  I  have 
protected  his  daughter  against  Count  Marlanx.  He 
understands.  And  yet  he  would  not  betray  a  trust  im- 
posed upon  him  even  by  the  Count.  He  has  only  told 
me  what  any  one  else  might  have  seen  with  his  own 
eyes.  Wait !  The  new  servant  is  in  the  hall  again." 
She  clapped  her  hands  sharply  and  called  out  "Franz !" 

The  new  man  appeared  in  the  doorway  almost  on  the 
instant.      "You   may   replenish  the   fire,  Franz."      The 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  111 

man,  a  sallow,  precise  fellow,  crossed  deliberately  and 
poked  the  half  dead  fire ;  with  scrupulous  care  he  se- 
lected two  great  chunks  of  wood  from  the  hopper  near 
by  and  laid  them  on  the  coals,  the  others  watching  his 
movements  with  curious  interest.  There  was  nothing 
about  the  fellow  to  indicate  that  he  was  other  than  what 
he  pretended  to  be. 

"Isn't  it  strange  that  we  should  have  fires  in  July?" 
she  asked  casually.  "The  mountain  air  and  the  night 
fogs  make  it  absolutely  necessary  in  these  big  old 
houses." 

"We  had  a  jolly  fire  in  the  Prince's  room  when  I  left 
the  Castle.     Our  monarch  is  subject  to  croup,  you  see." 

"That  is  all,  Franz."  The  man  bowed  and  left  the 
room.  "What  do  you  think  of  him?"  she  asked,  after  a 
moment. 

"He  has  a  very  bad  liver,"  was  all  Tullis  deigned  to  of- 
fer in  response.  The  Countess  stared  for  a  moment  and 
then  laughed  understandingly.  "I  think  he  needs  a 
change." 

"I  have  a  strange  feeling  that  he  is  but  one  of  a  great 
many  men  who  are  in  Edelweiss  for  the  purposes  I  men- 
tioned before.  Now  I  have  a  favour  to  ask  of  you.  WiD 
you  take  this  matter  up  with  Baron  Dangloss  as  if  on 
your  o'wn  initiative?  Do  not  mention  me  in  any  way. 
You  can  understand  why  I  ask  this  of  you.  Let  them 
believe  that  the  suspicions  are  yours.  I  trust  you  to 
present  them  without  involving  me." 

"Trust  me,  my  dear  Countess.  I  am  a  very  diplomatic 
liar.  You  need  have  no  fear.  I  shall  find  a  quick  way 
of  getting  my  friend  Dangloss  on  the  right  track.  It 
may  be  a  wild  goose  chase,  but  it  is  best  to  be  on  the  safe 
side.  May  I  now  tell  you  how  greatly  I  appreciate  your 
confidence  in — " 


112  TRUXTON  KING 

She  stopped  him  with  a  glance.  "No,  jou  may  not  tell 
me.     There  is  nothing  more  to  be  said." 

"I  think  I  understand,"  he  said  gently. 

"Let  us  change  the  subject.  I  have  uttered  my  word 
to  the  wise.  Eh  bien !  It  may  not  be  so  bad  as  I  think. 
Let  us  hope  so,  at  least." 

"I  have  a  vague  notion  that  you'd  rejoice  if  we  should 
catch  your  ogre  and  chop  his  head  off,"  said  he,  coolly 
lighting  a  fresh  cigarette.  She  liked  his  assurance.  He 
was  not  like  other  men. 

Glancing  up  at  his  sandy  thatch,  she  said,  with  a  rueful 
droop  at  the  comers  of  her  mouth,  a  contradictory  smile 
in  her  eyes:  "I  shall  rejoice  more  if  you  do  not  lose 
3'our  head  afterwards." 

"Double  entendre?'* 

"Not  at  all." 

"I  thought,  perhaps,  you  referred  to  an  unhappy 
plight  that  already  casts  its  shadow  before,"  he  said 
boldly.  "I  may  lose  everything  else,  my  dear  Countess, 
but  not  my  head." 

"I  believe  you,"  she  said,  strangely  serious.  "I  shall 
remember  that." 

She  knew  this  man  loved  her. 

"Sit  down,  now,  and  let  us  be  comfy.  We  are  quite 
alone,"  she  added  instantly,  a  sudden  confusion  coming 
over  her.  "First,  will  you  give  me  that  box  of  candy 
from  the  table.?  Thank  you  so  much  for  sending  it  to 
me.  How  in  the  world  do  you  manage  to  get  this  won- 
derful New  York  candy  all  the  wa}^  to  Graustark?  It  is 
quite  fresh  and  pcrfcctl}"  delicious." 

"Oh,  Fifth  Avenue  isn't  so  far  away  as  you  think," 
he  equivocated.  "It's  just  around  the  corner — of  the 
world.  What's  eight  or  nine  thousand  miles  to  a 
district  messenger  boy?     I  ring  for  one  and  he  fetches 


INGOMEDE  THE  BEAUTIFUL  11& 

the  candy,  before  you  can  wink  your  eye  or  say  Jack 
Robinson.    It's  a  marvellous  system." 

He  watched  her  wliite  teeth  set  themselves  daintily  in 
the  rich  nougat ;  then  the  red  lips  closed  tranquilly  only 
to  open  again  in  a  smile  of  rapture.  For  reasons  best 
known  to  himself,  he  chose  not  to  risk  losing  the  thing 
he  had  vowed  not  to  lose.  He  turned  his  head — and 
carefully  inspected  the  end  of  his  cigarette.  A  wholly 
unnecessary  precaution,  as  any  one  might  have  seen  that 
it  was  behaving  beautifully. 

Her  eyes  narrowed  ever  so  slightly  as  she  studied  his 
averted  face  in  that  brief  instant.  When  he  turned  to 
her  again,  she  was  resting  her  head  against  the  back  of 
the  chair,  and  her  eyes  were  closed  as  if  in  exquisite  en- 
joyment of  the  morsel  that  lay  behind  her  smiling  lipSo 

"Are  you  enjo^-ing  it.?"  he  asked. 

"Tremendously,"  she  replied,  opening  her  eyes  slowly, 

"  'Gad,  I  believe  you  are,"  he  exclaimed.  She  sat  up 
at  once,  and  caught  her  breath,  although  he  did  not 
know  it.     His  smile  distinctly  upset  her  tranquilHty. 

"By  the  way,"  he  added,  as  if  dismissing  the  matter, 
"have  you  forgotten  that  on  Tuesday  we  go  to  the 
Witch's  hut  in  the  hills?  Bobby  has  dingdonged  it  intc 
me  for  days." 

"It  will  be  good  fun,"  she  said.  Then,  as  a  swift  after= 
thought :  "Be  sure  that  the  bodyguard  is  strong— and 
true." 


CHAPTER   VII 

AT   THE   witch's    HUT 

The  next  morning,  before  setting  forth  to  consult  tht 
minister  of  police  at  the  Tower,  he  called  up  the  Perse 
palace  on  the  telephone  and  asked  for  the  Countess,  to 
tell  her  in  so  many  words  that  he  had  been  followed  from 
her  door  to  the  very  gates  of  the  Castle  grounds.  Not 
bj'  one  man  alone,  for  that  would  have  excited  suspicion, 
but  by  half  a  dozen  at  least,  each  one  taking  up  the 
surveillance  in  the  most  casual  manner  as  the  watcher 
before  him  left  off.  Tullis  was  amazed  by  the  cunning 
which  masked  these  proceedings ;  there  was  a  wily  brain 
behind  it. 

The  Duke's  secretary  answered  the  call.  Tullis  was 
completely  bowled  over  by  the  curt  information  that  the 
Countess  Marlanx  had  left  Edelweiss  before  six  that 
morning,  to  join  her  husband,  who  was  shooting  wild 
boars  with  a  party  in  Axphain. 

"When  does  fhe  return?"  demanded  the  American; 
scarcely  believing  his  ears.  She  had  said  nothing  of 
this  the  night  before.      What  could  it  mean? 

"I  do  not  know,  sir." 

"In  a  day  or  two?" 

"She  took  sixteen  trunks,  sir,"  was  the  laconic  reply, 
as  if  that  told  the  story  in  full. 

"Well,  I'm  damned !"" 

"I  beg  pardon,  sir !" 

"I  beg  your  pardon.     Good  morning." 

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦  • 

In  the  meantime,  our  excellent  young  friend,  Truxton 
King,  was  having  a  sorry  time  of  it.     It  all  began  when 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  115 

he  went  to  the  Cathedral  in  the  hope  of  seeing  the  charm- 
ing aunt  of  the  Httle  Prince  once  more.  Not  only  did 
he  attend  one  ser\-ice,  but  all  of  them,  having  been 
assured  that  the  royal  family  worshipped  there  quite  as 
regularly  and  as  religiously  as  the  lowliest  communi* 
cant.     She  did  not  appear. 

More  than  all  this,  he  met  with  fresh  disappointment 
when  he  ambled  down  to  the  armourer's  shop.  The 
doors  were  locked  and  there  was  no  sign  of  life  about 
the  shuttered  place.  The  cafes  were  closed  on  this  day 
of  rest,  so  there  was  nothing  left  for  him  to  do  but  to 
slink  off  to  his  room  in  the  Regengetz,  there  to  read  or 
to  play  solitaire  and  to  curse  the  progress  of  civiHsa- 
tion. 

Monday  was  little  better  than  Sunday.  Hobbs  posi- 
tively refuse^to  escort  him  to  the  Castle  grounds  again. 
No  amount  of  bribing  or  browbeating  could  move  the 
confounded  Englishman  from  his  stand.  He  was  willing 
to  take  him  anywhere  else,  but  never  again  would  he  risk 
a  personally  conducted  tour  into  hot  waters  royal.  Mr. 
King  resigned  himself  to  a  purely  business  call  at  the 
shop  of  Mr.  Spantz.  He  looked  long,  with  a  somewhat 
shifty  eye,  at  the  cabinet  of  ancient  rings  and  necklaces, 
and  then  departed  without  having  seen  the  interesting 
Miss  Platanova.  If  the  old  man  observed  a  tendency 
^  to  roam  in  the  young  man's  eye,  he  did  not  betray  the 
'  fact — at  least  not  so  that  any  one  could  notice.  Truxton 
departed,  but  returned  immediately  after  luncheon, 
vaguely  inclined  to  decide,  between  two  desirable  rings. 
After  a  protracted  period  of  indecision,  in  which  Olga 
remained  stubbornly  out  of  sight,  he  announced  that  he 
could  not  make  up  his  mind,  and  would  return  later  for 
another  inspection. 
At  his  room  in  the  hotel,  he  found  a  note  addressed  to 


116  TRUXTON  KING 

himself.  It  did  not  have  much  to  say,  but  it  meant  a 
great  deal.  There  was  no  signature,  and  the  hand- 
writing was  that  of  a  woman. 

^''Please  do  not  come  again.**    That  was  all. 

He  laughed  with  a  fine  tone  of  defiance  and — went  back 
to  the  shop  at  five  o'clock,  just  to  prove  that  nothing 
50  timid  as  a  note  could  stop  him.  This,  however,  was 
after  he  had  taken  a  long  walk  down  Castle  Avenue, 
mih.  a  supplementary  stroll  of  little  incident  outside  the 
grim,  high  walls  that  enclosed  the  grounds.  If  any  one 
had  told  him  that  he  was  secretly  hoping  to  find  a  cre- 
vasse through  which  he  could  invade  paradise,  I  make 
no  doubt  he  would  have  resented  the  imputation  soundly. 
On  the  occasion  of  this  last  visit  to  the  shop,  he  did  not 
stay  long,  but  went  away  somewhat  dazed  to  find  him- 
self the  possessor  of  a  ring  he  did  not  want  and  out  of 
pocket  just  thirty  dollars,  American.  Having  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  knight-errantry  of  that  kind  was  not 
only  profligate  but  distinctly  irritating  to  his  sense  of 
humour,  he  looked  up  Mr.  Hobbs  and  arranged  for  a 
day's  ride  in  the  mountains. 

"You'll  oblige  me,  Mr.  Hobbs,  by  removing  that  band 
from  your  cap.  I  know  you're  an  interpreter.  It's  an 
insult  to  my  intelligence  to  have  it  flaunted  in  my  face 
all  day  long.  I'll  admit  you're  what  you  say  you  are, 
so  take  it  off  before  we  start  out  to-morrow." 

And  so,minus  the  beguiling  insignia  of  office, Mr. Hobbs 
led  his  hypercritical  patron  into  the  mountain  roads 
early  the  next  morning,  both  well  mounted  and  provided 
with  a  luncheon  large  enough  to  restore  the  amiability 
that  was  sure  to  flag  at  mid-day  unless  sustained  by 
anaesthetic  sandwiches  and  beer. 

The  day  was  bright  and  clear,  warm  in  the  valley  where 
the  city  lay,  cooler  to  cold  as  one  mounted  the  winding 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  117 

roads  that  led  past  the  lofty  Monastery  of  St.  Valentine, 
sombre  sentinel  among  the  clouds. 

A  part  of  Edelweiss  is  built  along  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, its  narrow  streets  winding  upward  and  past  count- 
less terraces  to  the  very  base  of  the  rocky,  jagged 
eminence  at  whose  top,  a  full  mile  above  the  last  sprink- 
ling of  houses,  stands  the  isolated,  bleak  Monastery.  The 
view  from  these  upper  streets,  before  one  enters  the 
circuitous  and  hidden  Monastery  road  that  winds  afar 
in  its  climb,  is  never  to  be  forgotten  by  the  spectator,  no 
matter  how  often  he  traverses  the  lofty  thorouglifares. 
As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  lies  the  green  valley, 
through  which  winds  the  silvery  river  with  its  evergreen 
banks  and  spotless  white  houses — greens  and  whites  that 
almost  shame  the  vaunted  tints  of  old  Ireland  as  one 
views  them  from  the  incoming  steamers.  Immediately 
below  one's  feet  lies  the  compact  little  city,  with  its  red 
roofs  and  green  chimney  pots,  its  narrow  streets  and 
vivid  awnings,  its  wide  avenues  and  the  ancient  Castle  to 
the  north.  To  the  south,  the  fortress  and  the  bridges ; 
encircling  the  city  a  thick,  high  wall  with  here  and 
there  enormous  gates  flanked  by  towers  so  grim  and  old 
that  they  seem  ready  to  topple  over  from  the  sheer 
fatigue  of  centuries.  A  soft,  Indian  summer  haze  hangs 
over  the  lazy-lit  valley;  it  is  always  so  in  the  summer 
time. 

Outside  the  city  walls  stretch  the  wheat-fields  and  the 
meadows,  the  vineyards  and  orchards,  all  snug  in  the 
nest  of  forest-crowned  hills,  whose  lower  slopes  are 
spotted  with  broken  herds  of  cattle  and  the  more  mobile 
flocks  of  sheep.  An  air  of  tranquillity  lies  low  over  the 
entire  vista ;  one  dozes  if  he  looks  long  into  this  peaceful 
bowl  of  plenty. 

From  the  distant  passes  in  the  mountains  to  the  east 


118  TRUXTON  KING 

and  north  come  the  dull  intonations  of  dynamite  blasts, 
proving  the  presence  of  that  disturbing  element  of  prog- 
ress which  is  driving  the  railroad  through  the  unbroken 
heart  of  the  land. 

It  is  a  good  three  hours'  ride  to  the  summit  of  Monas- 
tery ^lountain.  And,  after  the  height  has  been  at- 
tained, one  does  not  care  to  linger  long  among  the  chilly, 
whistling  crags,  with  their  snow-crevasses  and  bitter 
winds ;  the  utter  loneliness,  the  aloofness  of  this  frost- 
crowned  crest  appals,  disheartens  one  who  loves  the  fair, 
green  things  of  life.  In  the  shelter  of  the  crags,  at  the 
base  of  the  ]\Ionastery  walls,  looking  out  over  the  sunlit 
valley,  one  has  his  luncheon  and  his  snack  of  spirits 
quite  undisturbed,  for  the  monks  pay  no  heed  to  him. 
They  are  not  hospitable,  neither  are  they  unfriendly. 
One  seldom  sees  them. 

Truxton  King  and  Mr.  Hobbs  were  not  long  in  dispos- 
ing of  their  lunch.  It  was  too  cold  for  comfort  in  their 
draughty  dining-room,  and  they  were  not  invited  to  enter 
the  inhospitable  gates.  In  half  an  hour  they  were 
wending  their  way  down  the  north  side  of  the  peak  by 
graduall}^  declining  roads,  headed  for  the  much-talked- 
of  home  of  the  Witch  in  Ganlook  Gap,  some  six  miles 
from  Edelweiss  as  the  crow  flies,  but  twice  that  distance 
over  the  tortuous  bridle  paths  and  post  roads. 

It  was  three  o'clock  when  they  clattered  down  the  stone 
road  and  up  to  the  forbidding  vale  in  which  lurked,  like 
an  evil,  guilty  thing,  the  log-built  home  of  that  ancient 
female  who  made  no  secret  of  her  practices  in  witch- 
craft. The  hut  stood  back  from  the  mountain  road  a 
hundred  yards  or  more,  at  the  head  of  a  small,  thicket- 
grown  recess. 

A  low,  thatched  roof  protruded  from  the  hill  against 
which  the  hut  was  built.     As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  thin 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  119 

chimney  grew  out  of  the  earth  itself,  for  all  the  world 
like  a  smoking  tree  stump.  The  hovel  was  a  squalid,  beg- 
gary thing  that  might  have  been  built  over  night  some- 
where back  in  the  dark  ages.  Its  single  door  was  so  low 
that  one  was  obliged  to  stoop  to  enter  the  httle  room 
where  the  dame  had  been  holding  forth  for  three-score 
years,  'twas  said.  This  was  her  throne-room,  her  dining- 
room,  her  bed-chamber,  her  all,  it  would  seem,  unless  one 
had  been  there  before  and  knew  tliat  her  kitchen  was 
beyond,  in  the  side  of  the  hill.  The  one  window,  sans 
glass,  looked  narrowly  out  upon  an  odd  opening  in  the 
foliage  below,  giving  the  occupant  of  the  hut  an  un- 
obstructed view  of  the  winding  road  that  led  up  from 
Edelweiss.  The  door  faced  the  Monastery  road  down 
which  the  two  men  had  just  ridden.  As  for  the  doer 
yard,  it  was  no  more  than  a  pebbly,  avalanche-swept 
opening  among  the  trees  and  rocks,  down  which  in  the 
glacial  age  perhaps  a  thousand  torrents  had  leaped,  but 
which  was  now  so  dry  and  white  and  lifeless  that  one 
could  only  think  of  bones  bleached  and  polished  by  a  sun 
that  had  sickened  of  the  work  a  thousand  years  ago. 

This  brief,  inadequate  description  of  the  Witch's  hut 
is  given  in  advance  of  the  actual  descent  of  the  person- 
ally conducted  gentleman  for  the  somewhat  ambiguous 
reason  that  he  was  to  find  it  not  at  all  as  described. 

The  two  horsemen  rode  into  the  glen  and  came  plump 
Upon  a  small  detachment  of  the  royal  guard,  mounted 
and  rather  resolute  in  their  lack  of  amiability. 

"Wot's  this.J^"  gasped  Mr.  Hobbs,  drawing  rein  at  the 
edge  of  the  pebbly  dooryard. 

"Soldiers,  I'd  say,"  remarked  Mr.  King,  scowHng  quite 
glumly  from  beneath  the  rim  of  his  panama.  "Hello!" 
His  eyes  brightened  and  his  hat  came  off  with  a  switch. 
"There's  the  Prince!" 


120  TRUXTON  KING 

"My  word,"  ejaculated  Mr.  Hobbs,  and  forthwith  be- 
gan to  ransack  his  pockets  for  the  band  which  said  he 
was  from  Cook's. 

Farther  up  the  glen,  in  fact  at  the  very  door  of  the 
Witch's  hut,  were  gathered  a  small  but  rather  dis- 
tinguished portion  of  the  royal  household.  It  was  not 
difficult  to  recognise  the  little  Prince.  He  was  standing 
beside  John  Tullis ;  and  it  is  not  with  a  desire  to  speak  ill 
of  his  valour  that  we  add:  he  was  clutching  the  slackest 
part  of  that  gentleman's  riding  breeks  with  an  earnest- 
ness that  betra3^ed  extreme  trepidation.  Facing  them, 
on  the  stone  door-step,  was  the  Witch  herself,  a  figure 
to  try  the  courage  of  a  time-tried  hero,  let  alone  the 
susceptibilities  of  a  small  boy  in  knickers.  Behind 
Tullis  and  the  Prince  were  several  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
all  in  riding  garments  and  all  more  or  less  ill  at  ease. 

Truxton  King's  heart  swelled  suddenl}^ ;  all  the  world 
grew  bright  again  for  him.  Next  to  the  tall  figure  of 
Colonel  Quinnox,  of  the  Ro^^al  Guard,  was  the  slim, 
entrancing  lady  of  his  most  recent  dreams — the  Prince's 
aunt !  The  lady  of  the  grotto !  The  lady  of  the  gold- 
fish conspiracy ! 

The  Countess  Marlanx,  tall  and  exquisite,  was  a  little 
apart  from  the  others,  with  Baron  Dangloss  and  young 
Count  Vos  Engo — whom  Truxton  was  ready  to  hate  be- 
cause he  was  a  recognised  suitor  for  the  hand  of  the  slim- 
young  person  in  grey.  He  thought  he  had  liked  her 
be3'ond  increase  in  the  rajah  silk,  but  now  he  confessed 
to  himself  that  he  was  mistaken.  He  liked  her  better  in 
a  grey  riding  habit.  It  struck  him  sharply,  as  he  sat 
there  in  the  saddle,  that  she  would  be  absolutely  and 
adorably  faultless  in  point  lace  or  calico,  in  silk  or 
gingham,  low-neck  or  high.  He  was  for  riding  boldly 
up  to  this  little  group,  but  a  very  objectionable  lieu- 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  121 

tenant  barred  the  way,  supported  in  no  small  measure 
b}^  the  defection  of  Mr.  Hobbs,  who  announced  in  a 
hoarse,  agitated  whisper  that  he's  "be  'anged  if  he'd  let 
any  man  make  a  fool  of  him  twice  over." 

The  way  was  made  easy  by  the  inter\'ention  of  the 
alert  young  woman  in  grey.  She  caught  sight  of  the 
restricted  adventurers — or  one  of  them,  to  be  quite  ac- 
curate— and,  after  speeding  a  swift  smile  of  astonish- 
ment, turned  quickly  to  Prince  Bobby. 

A  moment  later,  the  tall  stranger  with  the  sun- 
browned  face  was  the  centre  of  interest  to  the  small 
group  at  the  door.  He  bowed  amiably  to  the  smiling 
young  person  in  grey  and  received  a  quick  nod  in  re- 
sponse. As  he  was  adventuring  what  he  considered  to 
be  a  proper  salute  for  the  Prince,  he  observed  that  a  few 
words  passed  between  the  lad's  aunt  and  John  Tullis, 
who  was  now  surveying  him  with  some  interest. 

The  Prince  broke  the  ice. 

"Hello !"  he  cried  shrilly,  his  little  face  aglow. 

"Hello!"  responded  the  gentleman,  readily. 

John  Tulhs  found  himself  being  dragged  away  from 
the  Witch's  door  toward  the  newcomer  at  the  bottom  of 
the  glen.  Mr.  Hobbs  listened  with  deepening  awe  to  the 
friendly  conversation  which  resulted  in  Truxton  King 
going  forward  to  join  the  party  in  front  of  the  hut. 
He  came  along  in  the  rear,  after  having  tethered  the 
tired  horses,  not  quite  sure  that  he  was  awake.  The 
Prince  had  called  him  Mr.  Cook,  had  asked  him  how  his 
sons  were,  all  of  which  was  highly  gratifying  when  one 
pauses  to  consider  that  he  had  got  his  cap  band  on 
upside  down  in  his  excitement.  He  always  was  to  wonder 
how  the  little  monarch   succeeded  in  reading  the  title 

tdthout  standing  on  his  head  to  do  so. 

Truxton  was  duly  presented  to  the  ladies  and  gentle^ 


122  TRUXTON  KING 

men  of  the  party  by  John  Tulhs,  who  gracefully  an- 
nounced that  he  knew  King's  parents  in  New  York. 
Baron  Dangloss  was  quite  an  old  friend,  if  one  were  to 
judge  by  tlie  manner  in  which  he  greeted  the  young 
man.  The  lady  in  grey  smiled  so  sweetly  and  nodded 
so  blithely,  that  TuUis,  instead  of  presenting  King  to 
her  as  he  had  done  to  the  Countess  Marlanx  and  others, 
merely  said: 

"And  you  know  one  another,  of  course."  "Whereupon 
she  flushed  very  prettily  and  felt  constrained  to  avoid 
Truxton's  look  of  inquiry.  He  did  not  lose  his  wits, 
but  vowed  acquiescence  and  assumed  that  he  knew. 

As  a  result  of  the  combined  supplications  of  the  entire 
party,  the  old  woman  grudgingh'  consented  to  take 
them  into  her  hovel,  where,  in  exchange  for  small  pieces 
of  silver,  she  would  undertake  certain  manifestations  in 
necromancy. 

Truxton  King,  scarcely  able  to  believe  his  good  for- 
tune, crowded  into  the  loathsome,  squalid  room  with  his 
aristocratic  companions,  managing,  with  considerable 
skill,  to  keep  close  beside  his  charming  friend.  They 
stood  back  while  the  others  crowded  up  to  the  table 
where  the  hag  occupied  herself  with  the  crj'stal  ball. 

Never  had  Truxton  looked  upon  a  creature  who  so 
thoroughly  vindicated  the  life-long  reliance  he  had  put 
in  the  description  of  witches  given  by  the  fairy-tale 
tellers  of  his  earliest  youth.  She  had  the  traditional 
hook-nose  and  peaked  chin,  the  glittering  eyes,  the  thou- 
sand wrinkles  and  the  toothless  gums.  He  looked  about 
for  the  raven  and  the  cat,  but  if  she  had  them,  they 
were  not  in  evidence.  At  a  rough  guess,  he  calculated 
her  age  at  one  hundred  years.  A  youth  of  extreme 
laziness,  who  Baron  Dangloss  said  was  the  old  woman's 
grandson,    appeared   to    be    her   man-of-all-work.      He 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  123 

fetched  the  old  woman's  crystal,  placed  stools  for  the 
visitors,  lighted  the  candles  on  the  table,  occupying  no 
less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  performing  these 
simple  acts,  so  awkward  that  at  least  two  of  his  ob- 
serv^ers  giggled  openly  and  whispered  their  opinions. 

"Gruesome  lady,  isn't  she?"  whispered  King. 

"I  shall  dream  of  her  for  months,"  whispered  the  lady 
in  grey,  shuddering. 

"Are  you  willing  to  have  her  read  your  future  in  that 
ball.^" 

"Do  you  really  think  she  can  tell.^" 

"I  once  had  a  fortune-teller  say  that  I  would  be  married 
before  I  was  twenty-three,"  he  informed  her.  She  ap- 
peared interested. 

"And  were  you?" 

"No.  But  she  did  her  part,  you  know — the  fortune- 
teller, I  mean." 

"She  warned  you.  I  see.  So  it  really  wasn't  her 
fault."  She  was  watching  the  preparations  at  the  table 
with  eager  eyes,  her  lips  parted  and  her  breath  coming 
quick  through  excitement. 

"Would  you  mind  telling  me  how  I  am  to  address  you?" 
whispered  King.  They  were  leaning  against  the  mud- 
plastered  wall  near  the  little  window,  side  by  side.  The 
whimsical  smile  that  every  one  loved  to  see  was  on  his 
lips,  in  his  eyes.  "You  see,  I'm  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land.     That  accounts  for  my  ignorance." 

"You  must  not  speak  while  she  is  gazing  into  the 
crystal,"  she  warned,  after  a  quick,  searching  glance  at 
his  face.  He  could  have  sworn  that  he  saw  a  gleam  of 
concern  in  her  eyes,  followed  instantly  by  a  twinkle  that 
meant  mischief. 

"Please  consider  my  plight,"  he  implored.  "I  can't  call 
you  Aunt  Loraine,  you  know." 


124?  TRUXTON  KING 

She  laughed  silently  and  turned  her  head  to  devote  her 
entire  attention  to  the  scene  at  the  table.  Truxton  King 
was  in  a  sudden  state  of  trepidation.  Had  he  offended 
her.''  There  was  a  hot  rush  of  blood  to  his  ears.  He 
missed  the  sly,  wondering  glance  that  she  gave  him  out 
of  the  corner  of  her  eye  a  moment  later. 

Although  it  was  broad  daylight,  the  low,  stuffy  room 
would  have  been  pitch  dark  had  it  not  been  for  the 
flickering  candles  on  the  table  beside  the  bent,  grey  head 
of  the  mumbling  fortune-teller,  whose  bony  fingers 
twitched  over  and  about  the  crj'stal  globe  like  wiggling 
serpents'  tails.  The  window  gave  little  or  no  light  and 
the  door  was  closed,  the  grinning  grandson  leaning 
against  it  limply.  The  picture  was  a  weird,  uncanny 
one,  despite  the  gay,  lightsome  appearance  of  the  visi- 
tors. The  old  woman,  in  high,  shrill  tones,  had  com- 
manded silence.  The  mxen  obeyed  with  a  grim  scepti- 
cism, while  the  women  seemed  really  awed  by  their 
surroundings. 

The  Witch  began  bj'  reading  the  fortune  of  Jolm 
Tullis,  who  had  been  pushed  forward  by  the  wide-eyed 
Prince.  In  a  cackling  monotone  she  rambled  through  a 
supposititious  history  of  his  past,  for  the  chief  part  so 
unintelligible  that  even  he  could  not  gainsay  the  state- 
ments. Later,  she  bent  her  piercing  eyes  upon  the 
Prince  and  refused  to  read  his  future,  shrilly  asserting 
that  she  had  not  the  courage  to  tell  what  might  befall 
the  little  ruler,  all  the  while  muttering  something  about 
the  two  little  princes  who  had  died  in  a  tower  ages  and 
ages  ago.  Seeing  that  the  boy  was  frightened,  Tullis 
withdrew  him  to  the  background.  The  Countess  Mar- 
lanx,  who  had  returned  that  morning  to  Edelweiss  as 
mysteriously  as  she  had  left,  came  next.  She  was 
smiling  derisively. 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  125 

"You  have  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  some  one  whom 
you  hate,"  began  the  Witch.  "He  is  your  husband.  You 
will  marrj  again.  There  is  a  fair-haired  man  in  love 
with  you.  You  are  in  love  with  him.  I  can  see 
trouble—" 

But  the  Countess  deliberately  turned  away  from  the 
table,  her  cheeks  flaming  with  the  consciousness  that  a 
smile  had  swept  the  circle  behind  her  graceful  back. 

"Ridiculous,"  she  said,  and  avoided  John  Tullis's  gaze 
*'I  don't  care  to  hear  any  more.  Come,  Baron!  You 
are  next." 

Truxton  King,  subdued  and  troubled  in  his  mind^ 
found  himself  studj^ing  his  surroundiiigs  and  the  people 
who  went  so  far  to  make  them  interesting.  He  glanced 
from  time  to  time  at  the  delicate,  eager  profile  of  the 
girl  beside  him ;  at  the  soft,  warm  cheek  and  the  caress- 
ing brown  hair ;  at  the  little  ear  and  the  white  slim  neck 
of  her — and  realised  just  what  had  happened  to  himc 
He  had  fallen  in  love ;  that  was  the  plain  upshot  of  itc 
It  had  come  to  pass,  just  as  he  had  hoped  it  would  in 
his  dearest  dreams.  He  was  face  to  face  with  the  girl 
of  royal  blood  that  the  story  books  had  created  for  him 
long,  long  ago,  and  he  was  doing  just  what  he  had 
always  intended  to  do :  falling  heels  over  head  and  hope- 
lessly in  love  with  her.  Never  had  he  seen  hair  grow 
so  exquisitely  about  the  temples  and  neck  as  this  one's 
hair — but,  just  to  confound  his  budding  singleness  of 
interest,  his  gaze  at  that  instant  wandered  off  and  fell 
upon  something  that  caused  him  to  stare  hard  at  a 
certain  spot  far  removed  from  the  coiffure  of  a  fair  and 
dainty  lady. 

His  eye  had  fallen  upon  a  crack  in  the  door  that  led' 
to  the  kitchen,  although  he  had  no  means  of  knowing 
that  it  was  a  kitchen.     To  his  amazement,  a  gleaming 


126  TRUXTON  KING 

2ye  was  looking  out  upon  the  room  from  beyond  this 
narrow  crack.  He  looked  long  and  found  that  he  was 
not  mistaken.  There  was  an  eye,  glued  close  to  the 
opposite  side  of  the  rickety  door,  and  its  gaze  was 
directed  to  the  Countess  Marlanx. 

The  spirit  of  adventure,  recklessness,  bravado — what- 
ever  3'ou  may  choose  to  call  it — flared  high  in  the  soul 
of  this  self-despised  outsider.  He  could  feel  a  strange 
thrill  of  exaltation  shootincr  throu":h  his  veins ;  he  knew 
as  well  as  he  knew  anything  that  he  was  destined  to 
create  commotion  in  that  stately  crowd,  even  against 
his  better  judgment.  The  desire  to  spring  forward  and 
throw  open  the  door,  thus  exposing  a  probable  con- 
federate, was  stronger  than  he  had  the  power  to  resist. 
Even  as  he  sought  vainly  to  hold  himself  in  check,  he 
became  conscious  that  the  staring  eye  was  meeting  his 
own  in  a  glare  of  realisation. 

Without  pausing  to  consider  the  result  of  his  action, 
he  sprang  across  the  room,  shouting  as  he  did  so  that 
there  was  a  man  behind  the  door.  Grasping  the  latch, 
he  threw  the  door  wide  open,  the  others  in  the  room 
looking  at  him  as  if  he  were  suddenh'  crazed. 

He  had  expected  to  confront  the  owner  of  that  basilisk 
eye.  There  was  not  a  sign  of  a  human  being  in  sight. 
Be^'ond  was  a  black  little  room,  at  the  back  of  which 
stood  an  old  cooking  stove  with  a  fire  going  and  a 
kettle  singing.  He  leaped  through,  prepared  to  grasp 
the  mj'sterious  watcher,  but,  to  his  utter  amazement,  the 
kitchen  was  absolutely  empty,  save  for  inanimate  things. 
His  surprise  was  so  genuine  that  it  was  not  to  be  mis- 
taken by  the  men  who  leaped  to  his  side.  He  had  time 
to  note  that  two  of  them  carried  pistols  in  their  hands, 
and  that  Tullis  and  Quinnox  had  placed  themselves  be- 
tween the  Prince  and  possible  danger. 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  127 

There  was  instant  commotion,  with  cries  and  exclama- 
tions from  all.  Quick  as  the  others  were,  the  old  woman 
was  at  his  side  before  them,  snarling  with  rage.  Her 
talon-like  fingers  sunk  into  his  arm,  and  her  gaze  went 
darting  about  the  room  in  a  most  convincing  way.  Some 
minutes  passed  before  the  old  woman  could  be  quieted. 
Then  King  explained  his  action.  He  swore  solemnly,  < 
if  sheepish^,  that  he  could  not  have  been  mistaken,' 
and  yet  the  owner  of  that  eye  had  vanished  as  if  swal- 
lowed up  by  the  mountain. 

Baron  Dangloss  was  convinced  that  the  voung  man  had 
seen  the  eye.  Without  compunction  he  began  a  search 
of  the  room,  the  old  woman  looking  on  with  a  grin  of 
glee. 

"Search!  Search!"  she  croaked.  "It  was  the  Spirit 
Eye !  It  is  looking  at  jou  now,  my  fine  baron !  It  finds 
you,  yet  cannot  be  found.  No,  no !  Oh,  you  fools ! 
Get  out !  Get  out !  All  of  you !  Prince  or  no  Prince, 
I  fear  j'ou  not,  nor  all  your  armies.  This  is  my  home ! 
jMy  castle !    Go  !    Go  !" 

"There  was  a  man  here,  old  woman,"  said  the  Baron 
cooll3\  "WTiere  is  he?  What  is  your  game?  I  am 
not  to  be  fooled  by  these  damnable  tricks  of  yours. 
Where  is  the  man?" 

She  laughed  aloud,  a  horrid  sound.  The  Prince 
clutched  Tullis  by  the  leg  in  terror. 

"Brace  up^  Mobby,"  whispered  his  big  friend,  leaning 
down  to  comfort  him.     "Be  a  man !" 

«It — it's  mighty  hard,"  chattered  Bobby,  but  he 
squared  his  little  shoulders. 

'I'he  ladies  of  the  party  had  edged  forward,  peering 
into  the  kitchen,  alarm  having  passed,  although  the  ex- 
clamation "boo!"  would  have  played  havoc  with  their 
courage. 


128  TRUXTON  KING 

"I  swear  there  was  some  one  looking  through  that 
crack,"  protested  King,  wiping  his  brow  in  confusion. 
"Miss — er — I  should  say — you  could  have  seen  it  from 
where  you  stood,"  he  pleaded,  turning  to  the  lady  in 
grey. 

"Dear  me,  I  wish  I  had,"  she  cried.  "I've  always  wanted 
to  see  some  one  snooping." 

"There  iij  no  window,  no  trap  door,  no  skylight,"  re- 
marked the  Baron,  puzzled.  "Nothing  but  the  stove- 
pipe, six  inches  in  diameter.  A  man  couldn't  crawl  out 
through  that,  I'm  sure.  Mr.  King,  we've  come  upon  a 
real  mystery.    The  e^'e  without  a  visible  body." 

"I'm  sure  I  saw  it,"  reiterated  Truxton.  The  Prince's 
aunt  was  actually  laughing  at  him.  But  so  was  the 
Witch,  for  that  matter.     He  didn't  mind  the  Witch. 

Suddenly  the  old  woman  stepped  into  the  middle  of  the 
room  and  began  to  wave  her  hands  in  a  mysterious 
manner  over  an  empty  pot  that  stood  on  the  floor  in 
front  of  the  stove.  The  others  drew  back,  watching 
her  with  the  greatest  curiosity. 

A  droning  song  oozed  from  the  thin  lips  ;  the  gesticula- 
tions grew  in  weirdness  and  fervor.  Then,  before  their 
startled  eyes,  a  thin  film  of  smoke  began  to  rise  from  the 
empty  pot.  It  grew  in  volume  until  the  room  was  quite 
dense  with  it.  Even  more  quickly  than  it  began,  it  disap- 
peared, drawn  apparently  by  some  supernatural  agency 
into  the  draft  of  the  stove  and  out  through  the  rickety 
chimney  pipe.  Even  Dangloss  blinked  his  eyes,  and  not 
because  they  were  filled  with  smoke. 

A  deafening  crash,  as  of  many  guns,  came  to  their 
ears  from  the  outside.  With  one  accord  the  entire  pa.'ty 
rushed  to  the  outer  door,  a  wild  laugh  from  the  hag 
pursuing  them. 

''There !"  she  screamed.     "There  goes  all  there  was  of 


AT  THE  WITCH'S  HUT  129 

him!  And  so  shall  we  all  go  some  day.  Fire  and 
smoke !"' 

Not  one  there  but  thought  oa  the  instant  of  the  Ara- 
bian nights  and  the  genii  who  went  up  in  smoke — those 
never-to-be-forgotten  tales  of  vronder. 

Just  outside  the  door  stood  Lieutenant  Safio  of  the 
guard,  his  hand  to  his  cap.  He  was  scarcely  distinguish- 
able, so  dark  had  the  day  become. 

"Good  Lord!"  shouted  TulHs.  "^\niat's  the  matter? 
What  has  happened?'' 

"The  storm,  sir,"  said  Saffo.  "It  is  coming  down  the 
valley  like  the  wind."  A  great  crash  of  thunder  burst 
overhead  and  Hghtning  dai-ted  through  the  black,  swirl- 
ing skies. 

"Very  sudden,  sir,"  added  Mr.  Hobbs  from  behind. 
"Like  a  puff  of  wind,  sir." 

The  Witch  stood  in  the  door  behind  them,  smiling  as 
amiably  as  it  was  possible  for  her  to  smile. 

"Come  in,"  she  said.  "There's  room  for  all  of  you. 
The  spirits  have  gone.  Ha,  ha !  My  merry  man !  Even 
the  eye  is  gone.  Come  in,  your  Highness.  Accept  the 
best  I  can  offer — shelter  from  the  hurricane.  I've  seen 
many,  but  this  looks  to  be  the  worst.  So  it  came  sudden, 
eh?    Ha,  ha!" 

The  roar  of  wind  and  rain  in  the  trees  above  seemed 
like  a  howl  of  confirmation.  Into  the  hovel  crowded  the 
dismayed  pleasure-seekers,  followed  by  the  soldiers,  who 
^ad  made  the  horses  fast  at  the  first  sign  of  the  storm. 

Down  came  the  rain  in  torrents,  whisked  and  driven, 
whirled  and  shot  by  the  howling  winds,  split  by  the 
lightning  and  urged  to  greater  glee  by  the  deafening 
applause  of  the  thunder.    Apple  carts  in  the  skies ! 

Out  in  the  dooryard  the  merry  grandson  of  the  Witch 
was  dancing  as  if  possessed  by  revelling  devils. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE 

"Washing  the  dead  men's  bones,"  was  the  remark  King 
made  a  few  minutes  later.  The  storm  was  at  its  height ; 
the  sheets  of  rain  that  swept  down  the  pebbly  glen 
elicited  the  gruesome  sentence.  He  stood  directly  be- 
hind the  quaking  Loraine,  quite  close  to  the  open  door; 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  observation  was  intended  for 
her  ears,  maliciously  or  otherwise. 

She  gave  him  an  awed  glance,  but  no  verbal  response. 
It  was  readily  to  be  seen  that  she  was  terrified  by  the 
violence  of  the  mountain  tornado.  As  if  to  shame  him 
for  the  frivolous  remark,  she  suddenly  changed  her  po- 
sition, putting  herself  behind  him. 

"I  like  that,"  he  remonstrated,  emboldened  by  the  ele- 
ments. "You  leave  me  in  front  to  be  stinick  by  the  first 
bolt  of  lightning  that  comes  along.  And  I  a  stranger, 
too." 

"Isn't  it  awful?"  she  murmured,  her  fingers  in  her  ears, 
her  eyes  tightly  closed.    "Do  you  think  we'll  be  struck?" 

"Certainly  not,"  he  assured  her.  "This  is  a  charmed 
spot.  It's  a  frolic  of  her  particular  devils.  She  waves 
her  hand:  all  the  goblins  and  thunder-workers  in  this 
neck  of  the  woods  hustle  up  to  see  what's  the  matter. 
Then  there's  an  awful  rumpus.  In  a  minute  or  two 
she'll  wave  her  hand  and — presto!  It  will  stop  raining. 
But,"  with  a  distressed  look  out  into  the  thick  of  it,  "it 
would  be  a  beastly  joke  if  lightning  should  happen  to 
strike  that  nag  of  mine.  I'd  not  only  have  to  walk  to 
town,  but  I'd  have  to  pay  three  prices  for  the  brute." 

"I  think  she's  perfectly — ooh! — perfectly  wonderful. 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  131 

Goodness,  that  was  a  crash!     Where  do  you  think  it 

struck?" 

"If  you'll  stand  over  here  a  little  closer  I'll  point  out 
the  tree.  See?  Right  down  the  ravine  there?  See  the 
big  limb  swaying?  That's  the  place.  The  old  lady  is 
carrying  her  joke  too  far.  That's  pretty  close  home. 
Stand  right  there,  please.    I  won't  let  it  rain  in  on  you.'* 

"You  are  very  good,  Mr.  King.  I — I've  always 
thought  I  loved  a  storm.  Ooh !  But  this  is  too  terrible ! 
Aren't  3'ou  really  afraid  you'll  be  struck?  Thanks,  ever 
so  much."  He  had  squared  himself  between  her  and  the 
door,  turning  his  back  upon  the  storm :  but  not  through 
cowardice,  as  one  might  suppose. 

"Don't  mention  it.  I  won't  mind  it  so  much,  don't 
you  know,  if  I  get  struck  in  the  back.  How  long  ago 
did  you  say  it  was  that  you  went  to  school  with  my 
sister  ?" 

All  this  time  the  Witch  was  haranguing  her  huddled 
audience,  cursing  the  soldiers,  laughing  gleefully  in  the 
faces  of  her  stately,  scornful  guests,  greatly  to  the 
irritation  of  Baron  Dangloss,  toward  whom  she  showed 
an  especial  attention. 

TulHs  was  holding  the  Prince  in  his  arms.  Colonel 
Quinnox  stood  before  them,  keeping  the  babbling,  leer- 
ing beldame  from  thrusting  her  face  close  to  that  of  the 
terrified  boy.  Young  A^os  Engo  glowered  at  Truxton 
King  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  room.  Mr.  Hobbs 
had  safely  ensconced  himself  in  the  rear  of  the  six 
guardsmen,  who  stood  near  the  door,  ready  to  dash  forth 
if  by  any  chance  the  terrified  horses  should  succeed  in 
breaking  away. 

The  Countess  Marlanx,  pale  and  rigid,  her  wondrous 
eyes  glowing  with  excitement,  stood  behind  John  Tullisj 
straight  and  strong,  like  a  storm,  spirit  glorying  in  ths 


133  TRUXTON  KING 

havoc  that  raged  about  her.  Time  and  again  she  leaned 
forward  to  utter  words  of  encouragement  in  the  ear  of 
the  httle  Prince,  never  without  receiving  a  look  of  grati- 
tude and  surprise  from  his  tall  protector. 

And  all  this  time  the  goose-herd  grandson  of  the  Witch 
was  dancing  his  wild,  uncanny  solo  in  the  thick  of  the 
brew,  an  exalted  grin  on  his  face,  strange  cries  of  delight 
breaking  from  his  lips:  a  horrid  spectacle  that  fasci- 
nated the  observers. 

With  incredible  swiftness  the  storm  passed.  Almost 
at  its  height,  there  came  a  cessation  of  the  roaring 
tempest;  the  downpour  was  checked,  the  thunder  died 
away  and  the  lightning  trickled  off  into  faint  flashes. 
The  sky  cleared  as  if  by  magic.  The  exhibition,  if  you 
please,  was  over! 

Even  the  most  stoical,  unimpressionable  men  in  the 
party  looked  at  each  other  in  bewilderment  and — awe, 
there  was  no  doubt  of  it.  The  glare  that  Dangloss  bent 
upon  the  hag  proved  that  he  had  been  rudely  shaken 
from  his  habitual  complacency. 

"It  is  the  most  amazing  thing  I've  ever  seen,"  he  said, 
over  and  over  again. 

The  Countess  Marlanx  was  trembling  violently.  Tullis, 
observing  this,  tried  to  laugh  away  her  nervousness. 

"Mere  coincidence,  that's  all,"  he  said.  "Surely  you 
are  not  superstitious.  You  can't  believe  she  brought 
about  this  storm?" 

"It  isn't  that,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice.  "I  feel  as  If 
a  grave  personal  danger  had  just  passed  me  by.  Not 
danger  for  the  rest  of  you,  but  for  me  alone.  That  is 
the  sensation  I  have:  the  feeling  of  one  who  has  stepped 
back  from  the  brink  of  an  abyss  just  in  time  to  avoid 
being  pushed  over.  I  can't  make  you  understand.  See! 
I  am  trembling.     I  have  seen  no  more  than  the  rest  of 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  135 

jou,  yet  am  more  terrified,  more  upset  than  Robin,  poor 
child.  Perhaps  I  am  foolish.  I  know  that  something 
dreadful  has — I  might  say,  touched  me.  Something  that 
no  one  else  could  have  seen  or  felt." 

"Nerves,  my  dear  Countess.  Shadows !  I  used  to  see 
them  and  feel  them  when  I  was  a  lad  no  bigger  than 
Bobby  if  left  alone  in  the  dark.  It  is  a  grown-up  fear 
of  croblins.    You'll  be  over  it  as  soon  as  we  are  outside." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  cavalcade  started  down  the  rain- 
swept road  toward  the  city,  dry  blankets  having  been 
placea  across  the  saddles  occupied  by  the  ladies  and  the 
Prince.  The  Witch  stood  in  her  doorway,  laughing 
gleefully,  inviting  them  to  come  often. 

"Come  again,  your  Highness,"  she  croaked  sarcaiti- 
cally. 

"The  next  time  I  come,  it  will  be  with  a  torch  to  burn 
you  alive  1"  shouted  back  Dangloss.  To  Tullis  he  added; 
"  'Gad,  sir,  they  did  well  to  burn  witches  in  your  town 
of  Salem.    You  cleared  the  country  of  them,  the  pests." 

Darkness  was  approaching  fast  among  the  sombre 
hills ;  the  great  pass  was  enveloped  in  the  mists  and  the 
gloaming  of  early  night.  In  a  compact  body  the 
guardsmen  rode  close  about  Prince  Robin  and  his  friend. 
Ingomede  had  urged  this  upon  Tullis,  still  oppressed  by 
the  feeling  of  disaster  that  had  come  over  her  in  the 
hovel. 

"It  means  something,  my  friend,  it  means  something," 
she  insisted.  "I  feel  it — I  am  sure  of  it."  Riding  quite 
close  beside  him,  she  added  in  lower  tones :  "I  was  with 
my  husband  no  longer  ago  than  yesterday.  Do  you 
know  that  I  believe  it  is  Count  ^Nlarlanx  that  I  feel 
everywhere  about  me  now.^  He — his  presence — is  in  the 
air !  Oh,  I  wish  I  could  make  you  feel  as  I  do." 
^  "You  haven't  told  me  why  you  ran  away  on  Sunday," 


134  TRUXTON  KING 

he  said,  abruptly,  dismissing  her  argument  with  small 
ceremony. 

"He  sent  for  me.  I — I  had  to  go."  There  was  a  new, 
strange  expression  in  her  eyes  that  puzzled  him  for  a 
long  time.  Suddenly  the  solution  came:  she  was  com- 
pletely captive  to  the  will  of  this  hated  husband.  The 
realisation  brought  a  distinct,  sickening  shock  with  it. 

Down  through  the  lowering  shades  rode  the  Prince's 
party,  swiftly,  even  gaily  by  virtue  of  relaxatior  from 
the  strain  of  a  weird  half  hour.  No  one  revea  ed  the 
slightest  sign  of  apprehension  arising  from  the  mysteri- 
ous demonstration  in  which  nature  had  taken  a  hand. 

Truxton  King  was  holding  forth,  with  cynical  good 
humour,  for  the  benefit,  if  not  the  edification  of  Baron 
Dangloss,  with  whom  he  rode — Mr.  Hobbs  galloping  be- 
hind not  unlike  the  faithful  Sancho  of  another  Quixote's 
day. 

"It's  all  tommy-rot.  Baron,"  said  Truxtan.  "We've 
got  a  dozen  stage  wizards  in  New  York  who  can  do  all 
she  did  and  then  some.  That  smoke  from  the  kettle  is 
a  corking  good  trick — but  that's  all  it  is,  take  my  word 
for  it.  The  storm  .^  Why,  you  know  as  well  as  I  do. 
Baron,  that  she  can't  bring  rain  like  that.  If  she  could, 
they'd  have  her  over  in  the  United  States  right  now, 
saving  the  crops,  with  or  without  water.  That  was 
chance.  Hobbs  told  me  this  morning  it  looked  like  rain. 
By  the  way,  I  must  apologise  to  him.  I  said  he  wag 
a  crazy  kill-joy.  The  thing  that  puzzles  me  is  what 
became  of  the  owner  of  that  eye.  I'll  stake  my  life  on 
it,  I  saw  an  eye.  'Gad,  it  looked  right  into  mine. 
Queerest  feeling  it  gave  me." 

"Ah,  that's  it,  my  young  friend.  What  became  of  the 
eye?  Poof!  And  it  is  gone.  We  searched  immediately. 
No  sign.     It  is  most  extraordinary." 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  135 

"I'll  admit  it's  rather  gruesome,  but — I  say,  do  you 
know  I've  a  mind  to  look  into  that  matter  if  you  don't 
object,  Baron.  It's  a  game  of  some  sort.  She's  a 
wily  old  dame,  but  I  think  if  we  go  about  it  right  we 
can  catch  her  napping  and  expose  the  whole  game.  I'm 
going  back  there  in  a  day  or  two  and  try  to  get  at  the 
bottom  of  it.  That  confounded  eye  worries  me.  She's 
laughing  up  her  sleeve  at  us,  too,  you  know." 

"I  should  advise  you  to  keep  away  from  her,  my  friend. 
Granted  she  has  tricked  us:  why  not?  It  is  her  trade. 
She  does  no  harm — except  that  she's  most  offensively 
impudent.  And  I  rather  imagine  she'll  resent  your  in- 
vestigation, if  you  attempt  it.  I  can't  say  that  I'd 
blame  her."     The  Baron  laughed. 

"Baron,  it  struck  me  n  bit  shivery  at  the  time,  but  I 
want  to  say  to  you  now  that  the  eye  that  I  saw  at  the 
crack  was  not  that  of  an  idle  peeper,  nor  was  it  a  mere 
fakir's  substitute.  It  was  as  malevolent  as  the  devil  and 
it  glared — do  you  understand?  Glared!  It  didn't 
peep!'' 

Truxton  Kincr,  for  reasons  best  known  to  himself,  soon 

o  - 

relapsed  into  a  thoughtful,  contemplative  silence.  Be- 
tween us,  he  was  sorely  vexed  and  disappointed,  ^^^len 
the  gallant  start  was  made  from  the  glen  of  "dead 
men's  bones,"  he  found  that  he  was  to  be  cast  utterly 
aside,  quite  completely  ignored  by  the  fair  Loraine.  She 
rode  off  with  young  Count  Vos  Engo  without  so  much 
as  a  friendly  wave  of  the  hand  to  him.  He  said  it  over 
to  himself  several  times:  "not  even  a  friendly  wave  of 
her  hand."  It  was  as  if  she  had  forgotten  his  existence, 
or — merciful  Powers  !  What  was  worse — as  if  she  took 
this  way  of  showing  him  his  place.  Of  course,  that  be- 
ing her  attitude,  he  glumly  found  his  place — which 
turned  out  rather  ironically  to  be  under  the  eye  of  a 


136  TRUXTON  KING 

police  officer — and  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  stay 
there. 

Vos  Engo,  being  an  officer  in  the  Royal  Guard,  rode 
ahead  by  order  of  Colonel  Quinnox.  Truxton,  therefore, 
had  her  back  in  view — at  rather  a  vexing  distance,  too — 
for  mile  after  mile  of  the  ride  to  the  city.  Not  so  far 
ahead,  however,  that  he  could  not  observe  every  movement 
of  her  light,  graceful  figure  as  she  swept  down  the  King's 
PIighwa3\  She  was  a  perfect  horsewoman,  firm,  jaunty, 
free.  Somehow  he  knew,  without  seeing,  that  a  stray 
brown  wisp  of  hair  caressed  her  face  with  insistent 
adoration:  he  could  see  her  hand  go  up  from  time  to 
time  to  brush  it  back — just  as  if  it  were  not  a  happy 
place  for  a  wisp  of  hair.  Perhaps — he  shivered  with 
the  thought  of  it — perhaps  it  even  caressed  her  lips. 
Ah,  who  would  not  be  a  wisp  of  brown  hair ! 

He  galloped  along  beside  the  Baron,  a  prey  to  gloomy 
considerations.  What  was  the  use.?  He  had  no  chance 
to  win  her.  That  was  for  story-books  and  plays.  She 
belonged  to  another  world — far  above  his.  And  even 
beyond  that,  she  was  not  likely  to  be  attracted  by  such 
a  rude,  ungainh^  sunburned  lout  as  he,  with  such  chaps 
about  as  Vos  Engo,  or  that  what's-his-name  fellow,  or 
a  dozen  others  whom  he  had  seen.  Confound  it  all,  she 
was  meant  for  a  prince,  or  an  archduke.  What  chance 
had  he? 

But  she  was  the  loveliest  creature  he  had  ever  seen. 
Yes ;  she  was  the  golden  girl  of  his  dreams.  Within 
his  grasp,  so  to  speak,  and  yet  he  could  not  hope  to  seize 
her,  after  all.  Was  she  meant  for  that  popinjay  youth 
with  the  petulant  eye  and  the  sullen  jaw.?  Was  he  to 
be  the  lucky  man,  this  Vos  Engo? 

The  Baron's  dry,  insinuating  voice  broke  in  upon  the 
young  man's  thoughts.     "I  think  it's  pretty  well  under- 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  137 

stood  that  she's  going  to  marry  him."  The  little  old 
minister  had  been  reading  King's  thoughts ;  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  his  victim  start  guiltily.  It  was 
on  the  tip  of  Truxton's  tongue  to  blurt  out :  "How  the 
devil  did  you  know  what  I  was  thinking  about?"  But 
he  managed  to  control  himself,  asking  instead,  with 
bland  interest: 

"Indeed?    Is  it  a  good  match,  Baron?" 

The  Baron  smiled.  "I  think  so.  He  has  been  a  trifle 
wild,  but  I  believe  he  has  settled  down.  Splendid  family. 
He  is  desperately  in  love,  as  you  may  have  noted." 

"I  hadn't  thought  much  about  it.  Is  she  in  love  with 
him?" 

"She  sees  a  great  deal  of  him,"  was  the  diplomatic 
answer. 

Truxton  considered  well  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then 
bluntly  asked: 

"Would  you  mind  telling  me  just  who  she  is,  Baron? 
What  is  her  name?" 

Dangloss  was  truly  startled.  He  gave  the  young  man 
a  quick,  penetrating  glance ;  then  a  set,  hard  expression 
came  into  his  eyes. 

"Do  you  mean,  sir,  that  you  don't  know  her?"  he  asked, 
almost  harshly. 

"I  don't  know  her  name." 

"And  you  had  the  effrontery  to —  My  excellent  friend, 
you  amaze  me.  I  can't  believe  it  of  you.  Why,  sir, 
how  dare  you  say  this  to  me?  I  know  that  Americans 
are  bold,  but,  by  gad,  sir,  I've  always  looked  upon  them 
as  gentlemen.     You — " 

"Hold  on,  Baron  Dangloss,"  interrupted  Truxton,  very 
red  in  the  face.  "Don't  say  it,  please.  You'd  better 
hear  my  side  of  the  story  first.  She  went  to  school  with 
my  sister.     She  knows  me,  but,  ca**  found  it,  sir,  she  re- 


138  TRUXTON  KING 

fuses  to  tell  me  who  she  is.  Do  you  think  that  is  fair? 
Now,  I'll  tell  jou  how  it  came  about."  He  related  the 
story  of  the  goldfish  and  the  pinhook.  The  Baron 
smiled  comfortably  to  himself,  a  sphinx-like  expression 
coming  into  his  beady  eyes  as  he  stared  steadily  on 
ahead;  her  trim  grey  back  seemed  to  encourage  his  ad- 
mirino;  smile. 

"V^ell,  my  boy,  if  she  elects  to  keep  you  in  the  dark 
concerning  her  name,  it  is  not  for  me  to  betray  her," 
he  said  at  the  end  of  the  recital.  "Ladies  in  her  posi- 
tion, I  dare  say,  enjoy  these  little  mysteries.  If  she 
wants  you  to  know,  she'll  tell  3^011.  Perhaps  it  would  be 
well  for  you  to  be  properly,  officially  presented  to  her 
hi — to  the  3'oung  lady.  Your  countryman,  Mr.  Tullis, 
will  be  glad  to  do  so,  I  fancy.  But  let  me  suggest: 
don't  permit  your  ingenuousness  to  get  the  better  of 
you  again.  She's  having  sport  with  you  on  account 
of  it.    We  all  know  her  propensities." 

It  was  dusk  when  they  entered  the  northern  gates. 
Above  the  Castle,  King  said  good-bye  to  Tullis  and  the 
Countess,  gravely  saluted  the  sleepy  Prince,  and  followed 
Mr.  Hobbs  off  to  the  heart  of  the  city.  He  was  hot 
with  resentment.  Either  she  had  forgotten  to  say  good- 
bye to  him  or  had  wilfully  decided  to  ignore  him  alto- 
gether ;  at  any  rate,  she  entered  the  gates  to  the  Castle 
grounds  without  so  much  as  an  indifferent  glance  in  his 
direction. 

Ti-uxton  knew  in  advance  that  he  was  to  have  a  sleep- 
less, unhappy  night. 

In  his  room  at  the  hotel  he  found  the  second  anonymous 
letter,  unquestionably  from  the  same  source,  but  this 
time  printed  in  crude,  stilted  letters.  It  had  been  stuck 
under  the  door,  together  with  some  letters  that  had  been 
forwarded  from  Tolieran- 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  139 

*^Leave  the  city  at  once.  You  are  in  great  danger. 
Save  yourself!'* 

This  time  he  did  not  laugh.  That  it  was  from  Olga 
Platanova  he  made  no  doubt.  But  why  she  should 
interest  herself  so  persistently  in  his  welfare  was  quite 
beyond  him,  knowing  as  he  did  that  in  no  sense  had  he 
appealed  to  her  susceptibility.  And  what,  after  all. 
could  she  mean  by  "great  danger"?  "Save  yourself!" 
He  sat  for  a  long  time  considering  the  situation.  At 
last  he  struck  the  window  sill  a  resounding  thwack  with 
his  fist  and  announced  his  decision  to  the  silent,  dis- 
interested wall  opposite. 

"I'll  take  her  advice.  I'll  get  out.  Not  because  I'm 
afraid  to  stay,  but  because  there's  no  use.  She's  got 
no  eyes  for  me.  I'm  a  plain  impossibility  so  far  as  she's 
concerned.  It's  Vos  Engo — damn  little  rat!  Old 
Dangloss  came  within  an  ace  of  speaking  of  her  as  *her 
Highness.'  That's  enough  for  me.  That  means  she's 
a  princess.  It's  all  very  nice  in  novels,  but  in  real  life 
men  don't  go  about  picking  up  any  princess  they  happen 
to  like.  No,  sir !  I  might  just  as  well  get  out  while  I 
can.  She  treated  me  as  if  I  were  a  yellow  dog  to-day — 
after  I'd  been  damned  agreeable  to  her,  too,  standing 
between  her  and  the  lightning.  I  might  have  been 
struck.  I  wonder  if  she  would  have  been  grateful.  No ; 
she  wouldn't.  She'd  have  smiled  her  sweetest,  and  said : 
"wasn't  it  lucky  i^" 

He  picked  up  the  note  once  more.  "If  I  were  a  story- 
book hero,  I'd  stick  this  thing  in  my  pocket  and  set  out 
by  myself  to  unravel  the  mystery  behind  it.     But  I've 

chucked  the  hero  job  for  good  and  all.  I'm  going  to 
hand  this  over  to  Dangloss.     It's  the  sensible  thing  to 

do,  even  if  it  isn't  what  a  would-be  hero  in  search  of  a 

princess  ought  to  do.    What's  more,  I'll  hunt  the  Baron- 


140  TRUXTON  KING 

up  this  very  hour.  Hope  it  doesn't  get  Olga  into 
trouble." 

He  indulged  in  another  long  spell  of  thoughtfulness. 
"No,  by  George,  Til  not  turn  tail  at  the  first  sign  of 
danger.  I'll  stay  here  and  assist  Dangloss  in  un- 
ravelling this  matter.  And  I'll  go  up  to  that  Witch's 
hole  before  I'm  a  day  older  to  have  it  out  vrith  her.  I'll 
find  out  where  the  smoke  came  from  and  I'll  know  where 
that  eye  went  to."  He  sighed  without  knowing  it.  "By 
Jove,  I'd  like  to  do  something  to  show  her  I'm  not  the 
blooming  duffer  she  thinks  I  am." 

He  could  not  find  Karon  Dangloss  that  night,  nor  early 
the  next  day.  Hobbs,  after  being  stigmatised  as  the 
only  British  coward  in  the  world,  changed  his  mind  and 
made  ready  to  accompany  King  to  the  hovel  in  Ganlook 
Gap. 

By  noon  the  streets  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Plaza  were 
filled  with  strange,  rough-looking  men,  undeniably 
labourers. 

"Who  are  they?"  demanded  King,  as  they  rode  past  a 
particularly  sullen,  forbidding  crowd  at  the  corner  be- 
low the  city  hall. 

"There's  a  strike  on  among  the  men  who  are  building 
the  railroad,"  said  Hobbs.     "Ugly  looking  crowd,  eh.^" 

"A  strike?     'Gad,  it's  positively  homelike." 

"I  heard  a  bit  ago  that  the  matter  has  been  adjusted. 
They  go  back  to  work  to-morrow,  slight  increase  in 
pay  and  a  big  decrease  in  work.  They  were  to  have 
had  their  answer  to-day.  Mr.  Tullis,  I  hear,  was  in- 
strumental in  having  the  business  settled  without  a  row." 

"They'd  better  look  out  for  these  fellows,"  said  King, 
ver}^  soberly.  "I  don't  like  the  appearance  of  'em.  They 
look  like  cut-throats." 

"Take  my  word  for  it,  sir,  they  are.     They're  the  riff- 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  141 

raff  of  all  Europe.  You  should  have  seen  them  of  a 
Sunday,  sir,  before  the  order  went  out  closing  the 
drinking  places  on  that  day.  My  word,  they  took  the 
town.  There  was  no  living  here  for  the  decent  people. 
Women  couldn't  go  out  of  their  houses." 

"I  hope  Baron  Dangloss  knows  how  to  handle  them.-^" 
in  some  anxiety.  "By  the  way,  remind  me  to  look  up 
the  Baron  just  as  soon  as  we  get  back  to  town  this 
evening." 

"If  we  ever  get  backl"  muttered  the  unhappy  Mr. 
Hobbs.     Prophetic  lamentation ! 

In  due  time  they  rode  into  the  sombre  solitudes  of 
Ganlook  Gap  and  up  to  the  Witch's  glen.  Here  Mr. 
Hobbs  balked.  He  refused  to  adventure  farther  than 
the  mouth  of  the  stony  ravine.  Truxton  approached 
the  hovel  alone,  without  the  slightest  trepidation.  The 
goose-herd  grandson  was  driving  a  flock  of  geese  across 
the  green  bowl  below  the  cabin.  The  American  called 
out  to  him  and  a  moment  later  the  youth,  considerably 
excited,  drove  his  geese  up  to  the  door.  He  could  under- 
stand no  English,  nor  could  Truxton  make  out  what  he 
was  saying  in  the  native  tongue.  While  they  were 
vainly  haranguing  each  other  the  old  woman  appeared 
at  the  edge  of  the  thicket  above  the  hut.  Uttering 
shrill  exclamations,  she  hurried  down  to  confront  King 
with  blazing  eyes.  He  fell  back,  momentarily  dismayed. 
Her  horrid  grin  of  derision  brought  a  flush  to  liis  cheek : 
he  faced  her  quite  coolly. 

"I'll  lay  you  a  hundred  gaws'os  that  the  kettle  and 
smoke  experiment  is  a  fake  of  the  worst  sort,"  he  an- 
nounced, after  a  somewhat  lengthy  appeal  to  be  allowed 
to  enter  the  hut  as  a  simple  seeker  after  knowledge. 

"Have  it  your  own  way  1  Have  it  your  own  way !"  she 
cackled. 


142  TRUXTON  KING 

"Tell  you  what  I'll  do :  if  I  can't  expose  that  trick  in 
ten  minutes,  I'll  make  you  a  present  of  a  hundred  gav- 
vos." 

She  took  him  up  like  a  flash,  a  fact  which  startled  and 
disconcerted  him  not  a  little.  Her  very  eagerness 
augured  ill  for  his  proposition.  Still,  he  was  in  for  it; 
he  was  determined  to  get  inside  the  hut  and  solve  the 
mystery,  if  it  were  possible.  Exposure  of  the  Witch 
would  at  least  attract  the  interest  if  not  the  approval 
of  a  certain  young  lady  in  purple  and  fine  linen.  That 
was  surely  worth  while. 

With  a  low,  mocking  bow,  the  shrivelled  hag  stood  aside 
and  motioned  for  him  to  precede  her  into  the  hovel.  He 
looked  back  at  Mr.  Hobbs.  That  gentleman's  eyes 
seemed  to  be  starting  from  his  head. 

"A  hundred  gavvos  is  a  fortune  not  easil}^  to  be  won," 
said  the  old  dame.  "How  can  I  be  sure  that  you  will 
pay  me  if  you  lose.^" 

"It  is  in  my  pocket,  madam.  If  I  don't  pay,  you  may 
instruct  your  excellent  grandson  to  crack  me  over  the 
head.  He  looks  as  though  he'd  do  it  for  a  good  deal 
less  money,  I'll  say  that  for  him." 

"He  is  honest — as  honest  as  his  grandmother,"  cried  the 
old  woman.  She  bestowed  a  toothless  grin  upon  him. 
"Now  what  is  it  you  want  to  do  ?" 

They  were  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  wretched 
living-room.  The  goose-boy  was  in  the  door,  looking 
^n  with  strangely  alert,  questioning  eyes,  ever  and  anon 
peering  over  his  shoulder  toward  the  spot  where  Hobbs 
stood  with  the  horses.  He  seldom  took  his  gaze  from  the 
face  of  the  old  woman,  a  rat-like  smile  touching  the 
corners  of  his  fuzz-lined  lips. 

"I  want  to  go  through  that  kitchen,  just  to  satisfy 
myself  of  one  or  two  things."     King  was  looking  hard 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  143 

at  the  crack  in  the  kitchen  door.     Suddenly  he  started 
as  if  shot. 

The  staring,  burning  eye  was  again  looking  straight 
at  him  from  the  jagged  crack  in  the  door! 

"I'll  get  YOU  this  time,"  he  shouted,  crossing  the  room 
in  two  eager  leaps.  The  door  responded  instantly  to 
his  violent  clutch,  swung  open  with  a  bang,  and  disclosed 
the  interior  of  the  queer  little  kitchen. 
The  owner  of  that  mocking,  phantom  eye  was  gone ! 
Like  a  frantic  dog,  Truxton  dashed  about  the  httle 
kitchen,  looking  in  every  corner,  every  crack  for  signs 
of  the  thing  he  chased.  At  last  he  paused,  baffled, 
mystified.  The  old  woman  was  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  outer  room,  grinning  at  him  with  what  was 
meant  for  complacency,  but  which  struck  him  at  once  as 
genuine  malevolence. 

"Ha,  ha!"  she  croaked.  "You  fool!  You  fool  I 
Search !  Smell  him  out !  All  the  good  it  will  do  you^ 
Ha,  ha!" 

"By  gad,  I  H'lll  get  at  the  bottom  of  this !"  shouted 
Truxton,  stubborn  rage  possessing  him.  "There's  some 
one  here,  and  I  know  it.  Fm  not  such  a  fool  as  to  believe 
—Say!  What's  that.?  The  ceihng!  By  the  eternal, 
that  scraping  noise  explains  it!  There's  where  the 
secret  trap-door  is — in  the  ceiling!  Within  arm's 
reach,  at  that !  Watch  me,  old  woman !  Til  have  your 
spry  friend  out  of  his  nest  in  the  shake  of  a  lamb's  tail." 
The  hag  was  standing  in  the  kitchen  door  now,  still 
grinning  evilly.  She  watched  the  eager  young  man 
pound  upon  the  low  ceiling  with  a  three-legged  stool 
that  he  had  seized  from  the  floor. 

"I  don't  see  how  he  got  up  there  so  quickly,  though. 
He  m.ust  be  like  greased  hghtning." 
-  He  was  pounding  vigorously  on  the  roughly  boarded 


144  TRUXTON  KING 

ceiling  when  the  sharp  voice  of  the  old  woman,  raised  in 
command,  caused  him  to  lower  the  stool  and  turn  upon 
her  with  gleaming,  triumphant  eyes.  The  look  he  saw 
in  her  face  was  sufficient  to  check  his  enterprise  for  the 
moment.  He  dropped  the  stool  and  started  toward  her, 
his  arms  extended  to  catch  her  swaying  form.  The 
look  of  the  dyin;^  was  in  her  eyes ;  she  seemed  to  be 
crumpling  before  him. 

He  reached  her  in  time,  his  strong  arms  grasping  the 
frail,  bent  figure  as  it  sank  to  the  floor.  As  he  lifted 
her  bodily  from  her  feet,  intent  upon  carrying  her  to 
the  open  air,  her  bony  fingers  sank  into  his  arm  with 
the  grip  of  death,  and — could  he  believe  his  ears ! — a 
low,  mocking  laugh  came  from  her  lips. 

Down  where  the  pebbly  house-yard  merged  into  the 
mossy  banks,  Mr.  Hobbs  sat  tight,  still  staring  with 
gloomy  eyes  at  the  dark  little  hut  up  the  glen.  His 
sturdy  knees  were  pressing  the  skirts  of  the  saddle 
with  a  firmness  that  left  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  the 
tension  liis  nerves  were  under.  Now  and  then  he  mur- 
mured "My  word !"  but  in  what  connection  it  is  doubtful 
if  even  he  could  tell.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  had  passed 
since  King  disappeared  through  the  doorway:  Mr. 
Hobbs  was  getting  nervous. 

The  shiftless,  lanky  goose-herd  came  forth  in  time,  and 
lazily  drove  his  scattered  flock  off  into  the  lower  glen. 

The  horses  were  becoming  impatient.  To  his  extreme 
discomfort,  not  to  say  apprehension,  they  were  con- 
stantly pricking  their  ears  forward  and  snorting  in  the 
direction  of  the  hovel ;  a  very  puzzling  circumstance, 
thought  Mr.  Hobbs.  At  this  point  he  began  to  say 
"dammit,"  and  with  some  sense  of  appreciation,  too. 

Presently  his  eye  caught  sight  of  a  thin  stream  of 
smoke,   ratlicr  black  than  blue,   arising  from  the  little 


LOOKING  FOR  AN  EYE  145 

chimney  at  the  rear  of  the  cabin.  His  eves  flew  very 
wide  open;  his  heart  experienced  a  sudden  throbless 
moment ;  his  mind  leaped  backward  to  the  unexplained 
smoke  mystery  of  the  day  before.  It  was  on  the  end 
of  his  tongue  to  cry  out  to  his  unseen  patron,  to  urge 
him  to  leave  the  Witch  to  her  deviltry  and  come  along 
home,  when  the  old  woman  herself  appeared  in  the  door- 
way-— alone. 

She  sat  down  upon  the  doorstep,  puffing  away  at  a  long 
pipe,  her  hooded  face  almost  invisible  from  the  distance 
which  he  resolutely  held.  He  felt  that  she  was  eyeing 
him  with  grim  interest.  For  a  few  minutes  he  waited, 
a  sickening  doubt  growing  up  in  his  soul.  A  single 
glance  showed  him  that  the  chimney  was  no  longer  emit- 
ting smoke.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the  old  woman  was 
losing  all  semblance  of  life.  She  was  no  more  than  a 
black,  inanimate  heap  of  rags  piled  against  the  door= 
jamb. 

Hobbs  let  out  a  shout.  The  horses  plunged  viciously. 
Slowly  the  bundle  of  rags  took  shape.  The  old  woman 
arose  and  hobbled  toward  him,  leaning  upon  a  great 
cane. 

""Wlie — Where's  Mr.  King?"  called  out  Hobbs. 

She  stopped  above  him  and  he  could  see  her  face.  Mr. 
Hobbs  was  chilled  to  the  bone.  Her  arm  was  raised,  a 
bony  finger  pointing  to  the  treetops  above  her  hovel. 

"He's  gone.  Didn't  you  see  him..^  He  went  off  among 
the  treetops.  You  won't  see  him  again."  She  waited  a 
moment,  and  then  went  on,  in  most  ingratiating  tones: 
"Would  you  care  to  come  into  my  house.?  I  can  show 
you  the  road  he  took.    You " 

But  Mr.  Hobbs,  his  hair  on  end,  had  dropped  the 
rein  of  King's  horse  and  was  putting  boot  to  his  own 
beast,  whirling  frantically  into  the  path  that  led  away 


146  TRUXTON  KING 

from  the  hated,  damned  spot!  Down  the  road  he 
crashed,  pursued  by  witches  whose  persistence  put  to 
shame  the  efforts  of  those  famed  ladies  of  Tam 
O'Shanter  in  the  long  ago;  if  he  had  looked  over  his 
shoulder,  he  might  have  discovered  that  he  was  followed 
by  a  riderless  horse,  nothing  more. 
But  a  riderless  horse  is  a  gruesome  thing — sometimes 


CHAPTER  IX 


STRANGE  DISAPPEAEANCES 


The  further  adventures  of  Mr.  Hobbs  on  this  memo- 
rable afternoon  are  quickly  chronicled,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  he  lived  an  age  while  they  were  transpiring, 
and  experienced  sensations  that  would  still  be  fresh  in 
his  memorj^  if  he  lived  to  be  a  hundred. 

He  was  scarcely  well  out  of  sight  of  the  cabin  when  his 
conscience  began  to  smite  him:  after  all,  his  patron 
might  be  in  dire  need  of  his  services,  and  here  he  was, 
fleeing  from  an  old  woman  and  a  whiff  of  smoke!  Hobbs 
was  not  a  physical  coward,  but  it  took  more  than  a  mile 
of  hard-ridden  conscience  to  bring  his  horse  to  a  stand- 
still. Then,  with  his  heart  in  his  mouth,  he  slowly  began 
to  retrace  his  steps,  walking  where  he  had  galloped  a 
moment  before.  A  turn  in  the  road  brought  him  in 
view  of  something  that  caused  him  to  draw  rein  sharply. 
A  hundred  yards  ahead,  five  or  six  men  were  struggling 
with  a  riderless  bay  horse. 

"My  Gawd!"  ejaculated  Hobbs.  "It's  his  horse!  I 
might  have  knov\'n!" 

He  looked  eagerly  for  his  patron.  There  was  no  sign 
of  him,  so  Hobbs  rode  slowly  forward,  intent  upon  ask- 
mg  the  woodmen — for  such  they  appeared  to  be — tc 
accompany  him  to  the  glen,  now  but  a  short  distance 
ahead. 

As  he  drew  nearer,  it  struck  him  forcibly  that  the  men 
were  not  what  he  had  thought  them  to  be.  They  were 
an  evil-looking  lot,  more  like  the  strikers  he  had  seen  in 
the  to\\Ti  earlier  in  the  day.  Even  as  he  was  turning 
the  new  thought  over  in  his  mind,  one  of  them  stepped 


148  TRUXTON  KING 

out  of  the  little  knot,  and,  without  a  word  of  warning, 
lifted  his  arm  and  fired  point  blank  at  the  little  English- 
man. A  pistol  ball  whizzed  close  by  his  head.  His 
horse  leaped  to  the  side  of  the  road  in  terror,  almost  un- 
seating him. 

But  Hobbs  had  fighting  blood  in  his  veins.  What  is 
more  to  the  point,  he  had  a  Mauser  revolver  in  his 
pocket.  He  jerked  it  out,  and,  despite  a  second  shot 
from  the  picket,  prepared  to  ride  down  upon  the  party. 
An  instant  later  half  a  dozen  revolvers  were  blazing 
away  at  him.  Hobbs  turned  at  once  and  rode  in  the 
opposite  direction,  whirling  to  fire  twice  at  the  un- 
friendly group.  Soon  he  was  out  of  range  and  at 
leisure.  He  saw  the  futility  of  any  attempt  to  pass 
them.  The  only  thing  left  for  him  to  do  was  to  ride 
as  quickly  as  possible  to  the  city  and  give  the  alarm :  at 
the  same  time,  to  acquaint  the  police  with  the  deliberate 
assault  of  the  desperadoes. 

His  mind  was  so  full  of  the  disaster  to  Truxton  King 
— he  did  not  doubt  for  an  instant  that  he  had  been 
destroyed  by  the  sorceress — that  he  gave  little  thought 
to  his  own  entjounter  with  the  rascals  in  the  roadway. 
He  had  come  to  like  the  impetuous  3'oung  man  with  the 
open  purse  and  the  open  heart.  Despite  his  vz-ayward- 
ness  in  matters  conventional  to  the  last  degree  he  could 
not  but  admire  him  for  the  smile  he  had  and  the  courage 
that  never  failed  him,  even  when  the  smile  met  the  frown 
of  rebuke. 

Riding  swifth^  through  the  narrow,  sunless  defile  he 
was  nearing  the  point  where  the  road  connected  with 
the  open  Highway ;  from  there  on  the  way  was  easy  and 
devoid  of  peril.  Suddcnh^  his  horse  swer\^ed  and  leaped 
furiously  out  of  stride,  stumbling,  but  recovering  him- 
self almost  instantaneously.    In  the  same  second  he  heard 


I 


STRANGE  DISAPPEARANCES  149 

the  sharp  crack  of  a  firearm,  far  down  the  unbroken 
ravine  to  his  left.  A  second  shot  came,  this  time  from 
the  right  and  quite  close  at  hand.  His  horse  was  stag- 
gering, swaying — then  down  he  crashed,  Hobbs  swing- 
ing clear  barely  in  time  to  escape  being  pinioned  to  the 
ground.  A  stream  of  blood  was  pouring  from  the  side 
of  the  poor  beast.  Aghast  at  this  unheard  of  wanton- 
ness, the  little  interpreter  knew  not  which  way  to  turn, 
but  stood  there  dazed  until  a  third  shot  brought  him  to 
his  senses.  The  bullet  kicked  up  the  dust  near  his  feet. 
He  scrambled  for  the  heavy  underbrush  at  the  roadside 
and  darted  off  into  the  forest,  his  revolver  in  his  hand, 
his  heart  palpitating  like  mad.  Time  and  again  as  he 
fled  through  the  dark  thickets,  he  heard  the  hoarse 
shouts  of  men  in  the  distance.  It  dawned  upon  him  at 
last  that  there  had  been  an  uprising  of  some  kind  in  the 
city — that  there  was  rioting  and  murder  going  en — that 
these  men  were  not  ordinary  bandits,  but  desperate 
strikers  in  quest  of  satisfaction  for  grievances  ignored. 

Night  came  and  he  dropped  to  the  soft,  dank  earth, 
utterly  exhausted  and  absolutely  lost  for  the  time  being 
in  the  pathless  hills. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  Colonel  Quinnox  and 
a  company  of  soldiers,  riding  from  the  city  gates  toward 
the  north  in  response  to  a  call  for  help  from  honest 
herders  who  reported  attacks  and  robberies  of  an  alarm- 
ing nature,  came  upon  the  stiff,  foot-sore,  thorn- 
scratched  Mr.  Hobbs,  not  far  from  the  walls  of  the 
town.  The  Colonel  was  not  long  in  grasping  the  sub« 
stance  of  Hobbs's  revelations.  He  rode  off  at  once  for 
the  Witch's  hovel,  sending  Hobbs  with  a  small,  in° 
structed  escort  to  the  Castle,  where  Baron  Dangloss  was 
in  consultation  with  Mr.  Tullis  and  certain  ministers. 

The  city  was  peaceful  enough,  much  to  the  surprise  of 


150  TRUXTON  KING 

Hobbs.  No  disturbance  had  been  reported,  said  the 
guardsmen  who  rode  beside  him.  Up  in  the  hills  there 
had  been  some  depredations,  but  that  was  all. 

"All?"  groaned  Mr.  Hobbs.  "All?  Hang  it  all,  man, 
wot  do  you  call  all?  You  haven't  heard  'alf  all  of  it 
yet.  I  tell  you,  there's  been  the  devil  to  pay.  Wait  till, 
the  Colonel  comes  back  from  Ganlook  Gap.  He'll  have 
news  for  3^ou  ;  take  it  from  me,  he  will.  That  poor  chap 
'as  gone  up  in  smoke,  as  sure  as  my  name's  Hobbs." 

They  met  Baron  Dangloss  near  the  barracks,  across  the 
park  from  the  Castle.  He  was  in  close,  earnest  conversa- 
tion with  John  Tullis  and  Count  Half ont,  both  of  whom 
seemed  to  be  labouring  under  intense  excitement.  Over 
b}^  the  arsenal  the  little  Prince,  attended  by  his  Aunt 
Loraine  and  Count  Vos  Engo — with  two  mechanical 
guardsmen  in  the  background — was  deep  in  conversa- 
tion with  Julius  Spantz,  the  master-of-arms.  If  he  had 
been  near  enough  to  hear,  he  might  have  learned  that 
Prince  Robin's  air-gun  was  very  much  out  of  order  and 
needed  attention  at  once. 

The  arrival  of  Hobbs,  a  pitiful  but  heroic  object,  at 
once  arrested  the  attention  of  every  one.  His  story  was 
heard  b}^  a  most  distinguished  audience ;  In  fact,  Hobbs 
was  near  to  exploding  with  his  own  suddenly  acquired  Im- 
portance. Not  only  were  there  dark,  serious  looks  from 
the  men  In  the  party,  and  distressed  exclamations  from 
the  most  beautiful  young  lady  In  the  world  (he  had 
always  said  that  of  her),  but  he  had  the  extreme  unc- 
tion of  bringing  tears  to  the  eyes  of  a  prince,  and  of 
hearing  manfully  suppressed  sobs  from  the  throat  of  the 
same  august  personage. 

Tlie  looks  that  went  round  at  the  conclusion  of  his 
disjointed  and  oft-interrupted  stor^',  expressed  some 
thing  more  than  consternation. 


STRANGE  DISAPPEARANCES  151 

"There  is  nothing  supernatural  about  King's  dis- 
appearance," said  TulHs  sharply.  "That's  all  nonsense. 
He  had  money  about  him  and  it  perhaps  turns  out  that 
there  really  was  a  man  at  the  crack  in  the  door — a 
clever  brigand  who  to-day  has  got  the  better  of  our 
vain-glorious  friend.  The  shooting  in  the  hills  is  more 
disturbing  than  this,  to  my  mind.  Gentlemen,  you 
shouldn't  lose  any  time  in  running  these  fellows  down. 
It  will  mean  trouble  if  it  gets  under  way.  They're  an 
ugly  lot." 

"This  mystery  coming  on  top  of  the  other  is  all  the 
more  difficult  to  understand.  I  mean  the  disappearance 
of  the  Countess  Marlanx,"  said  Baron  Dangloss,  pulling 
at  his  imperial  in  plain  perplexity.  "But  we  must  not 
stop  here  talking.  Will  you  come  with  me,  Mr.  Tullis, 
to  the  Tower.?  I  shall  send  out  my  best  man  to  work  on 
the  case  of  the  lady.  It  is  a  most  amazing  thing.  I 
still  have  hope  that  she  will  appear  in  person  to  explain 
the  affair." 

"I  think  not,"  said  Tullis  gloomily.  "This  looks  like 
abduction — foul  play,  or  whatever  you  choose  to  call  it. 
She  has  never  left  her  father's  house  in  just  this  manner 
before.  I  believe.  Baron,  that  Marlanx  has  taken  her 
away  by  force.  She  told  me  yesterday  that  she  would 
never  go  back  to  him  if  she  could  help  it.  I  have  al- 
ready given  you  my  suspicions  regarding  his  designs 
upon  the — ahem!"  Catching  the  eager  gaze  of  the 
Prince,  he  changed  the  word  "throne"  to  "treasury." 
The  Baron  nodded  thoughtfully.  "The  Countess  at- 
tended the  fete  at  Baron  Pultz's  last  night,  leaving  at 
twelve  o'clock.  I  said  good-night  to  her  at  the  foun- 
tain and  watched  her  until  she  passed  through  the  gate 
between  the  Baron's  grounds  and  those  of  her  father  ad- 
joining.    She  would  not  permit  me  to  accompany  her 


152 


TRUXTON  KING 


to  the  doors.  Her  maid  had  preceded  her  and  was  wait- 
ing just  beyond  the  gate — at  least,  so  she  says  to-day. 
It  is  less  than  two  hundred  feet  from  the  gate  to  Perse's 
doorsteps.  Well,  she  never  crossed  that  space.  Her 
maid  waited  for  an  hour  near  the  fernery  and  then  came 
to  the  Baron's.  The  Countess  has  not  been  seen  since 
she  passed  through  the  gate  in  the  wall.  I  say  that  she 
has  been  carried  away." 

"The  maid  will  be  at  my  office  at  eleven  with  the  Duke 
of  Perse  and  the  house  servants.  I  have  detailed  a  man 
to  look  up  this  fellow  Brutus  you  speak  of,  and  to  as- 
certain his  whereabouts  last  night.  Come,  we  will  go 
to  the  Tower.  The  Duke  is  greatly  distressed.  He 
suspects  foul  play,  I  am  confident,  but  he  will  not  admit 
that  Marlanx  is  responsible." 

"But  what  about  Mr.  King?"  piped  up  a  small  voice. 

"Colonel  Quinnox  has  gone  to  look  for  him,  Bobby," 
began  Tullis,  frowning  slightly.  Pie  was  interested  in 
but  one  human  being  at  that  moment. 

"I  want  the  old  Witch  beheaded,"  said  the  Prince. 
"Why  don't  you  go,  Uncle  Jack.?  He's  an  American. 
He'd  help  you,  I  bet,  if  you  were  in  danger." 

Tullis  flushed.  Then  he  patted  Prince  Robin's  shoul- 
der and  said,  with  no  little  emotion  in  his  voice: 

"Perhaps  I  deserve  the  rebuke,  Bobby,  but  you  must 
not  forget  that  there  is  a  lady  in  distress.  Which  would 
you  have  me  do — desert  the  lady  whom  we  all  love  or 
the  man  whom  we  scarcely  know.^^" 

"The  lady,"  said  Bobby  promptly.  "Hasn't  she  got  a 
husband  to  look  after  her?  Mr.  King  has  no  friends, 
no  relations,  nothing.  Aunt  Loraine  likes  him  and  so 
do  I." 

"He's  a  fine  chap,"  asserted  Hobbs,  and  afterward 
marvelled  at  his  own  temerity. 


STRANGE  DISAPPEARANCES  loS 

Loraine,  her  merry  eyes  now  dark  with  anxiety,  her 
cheeks  white  with  resolution,  turned  upon  John  Tulhs. 
•'You  might  leave  the  rescue  of  the  Countess  to  the 
proper  authorities — the  police,"  she  said  calmly.  ''I 
think  it  is  your  duty  as  an  American  to  head  the  search 
for  Mr.  King.  If  Count  Marlanx  has  spirited  his  wife 
away,  pray,  who  has  a  better  right?" 

"But  we  are  not  sure  that  he " 

"We  are  sure  that  Mr.  King  is  either  dead  or  in  dire 
need  of  help,"  she  interrupted  hotly.  He  looked  at  her 
in  surprise,  swayed  by  two  impulses. 

"Colonel  Quinnox  is  quite  competent  to  conduct  the 
search,"  he  said  shortly. 

"But  Colonel  Quinnox  has  gone  forth  on  another  mis- 
sion. He  may  be  unable  to  give  any  of  his  time  to  the 
search  for  Mr.  King.  It  is  outrageous,  John  Tulhs,  to 
refuse  help " 

"I  don't  refuse  help,"  he  exclaimed.  "They  may  take 
the  whole  army  out  to  look  for  him,  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned. But,  I'll  tell  you  this — I  consider  it  my  duty 
as  a  man  to  devote  what  strength  I  have  to  the  service  of 
a  woman  in  trouble.  That  ends  it  1  Come,  Baron ;  we 
will  go  to  the  Tower." 

The  amazed  young  woman  looked  at  him  with  wide, 
comprehending  eyes.  Her  lip  trembled  under  the  rebuke. 
Count  Halfont  intervened,  hastily  proposing  that  a 
second  party  be  sent  out  at  once  with  instructions  to 
raze  the  Witch's  hut  if  necessary. 

"I  shall  be  happy  to  lead  the  expedition,"  said  young 
Count  Vos  Engo,  bowing  deeply  to  the  young  lady  her- 
self. 

"You  shall,  Vos  Engo,"  said  Halfont.  "Prepare  at 
once.  Take  ten  men.  I  shall  report  to  General  Braze 
for  you." 


loi  TRUXTOX  KING 

Tullis  turned  suddenly  to  the  resentful  girl.  "Loraine,*" 
he  said  gently,  as  the  others  drew  away,  ''don't  be  hard 
with  me.     You  don't  understand." 

"Yes,  I  do,''  she  said  stubbornly.  "'You  are  in  love 
with  her." 

"Yes ;  that's  quite  true." 

"A  married  woman !" 

"I  can't  help  it.    I  must  do  all  I  can  for  her." 

She  looked  into  his  honest  eyes  for  a  moment. 

"Forgive  me,"  she  murmured,  hanging  her  head. 
"What  is  Mr.  King  to  us,  after  all.-" 

"He  is  simply  paying  for  his  foolhardiness.  Americans 
do  that  the  world  over." 

"Be  careful  that  you  do  not  pay  for  something  worse 
than  foolliardiness." 

"I  think  you  may  trust  me." 

She  smiled  brightly  up  into  his  face.  "Have  your 
way,  then.  Remember  that  I  am  her  friend,  too."  Then 
she  hurried  off  after  the  Prince  and  Vos  Engo,  who  was 
already  giving  instructions  to  an  attentive  orderly. 

"Poor  Mr.  King !"  she  said  to  the  Prince,  as  they  stood 
by  watching  the  preparations.  "I  am  afraid,  Bobby, 
he  can't  come  to  your  circus  this  week.  I  sent  the  in- 
vitation this  morning,  early.  He  may  never  receive  it. 
Isn't  it  dreadful.  Count  Vos  Engo?" 

Count  Vos  Engo  was  politely  concerned,  but  it  should 
not  be  expected  that,  in  his  present  state  of  mind  re- 
garding her,  he  could  be  seriously  grieved  by  an\i:hing 
that  might  have  happened  to  the  rash  American. 

The  guard  about  the  Prince  was  doubled:  orders  re- 
quiring the  strictest  care  of  his  person  were  issued  by 
Count  Halfont.  By  this  time,  it  may  be  suspected,  the 
suspicions  of  John  Tullis  had  been  communicated  to  men 
high  in  the  government ;  no  small  amount  of  credence 


STRANGE  DISAPPEAR  ANTES  155 

was  attached  to  them.  Baron  Dangloss  began  to  see 
thincrs  in  a  different  light;  things  that  had  puzzled  him 
before  now  seemed  clear.  His  office  was  the  busiest  place 
in  Edelweiss. 

"It  is  not  unreasonable  to  suspect  that  Marlanx,  or 
some  of  his  agents,  having  concluded  that  the  Countess 
knew  too  much  of  their  operations,  and  might  not  be  a 
safe  repository,  decided  to  remove  her  before  it  was  too 
late.  Understand,  gentlemen,  I  don't  believe  the  Coun- 
tess is  in  sympathy  with  her  husband's  schemes '^ 

The  Duke  of  Perse  interrupted  the  doughty  baron. 
"You  assume  a  great  deal.  Baron,  in  saying  that  he  has 
schemes  inimical  to  the  best  interests  of  this  country." 

"I  fancy  that  your  Grace  will  admit  that  your  vener- 
able son-in-law — who,  if  I  mistake  not,  is  some  ten  years 
your  senior — has  no  great  love  for  the  reigning  power 
in  Graustark.  We  will  pass  that,  however,"  said  the 
Baron,  pointedly.  "We  should  be  wise  enough  to  guard 
against  any  move  he  may  make ;  it  is  imperative  that  we 
should  not  be  caught  napping." 

"I  don't  believe  he  has  taken  my  daughter  away  by 
force.  Why  should  he  do  so.'  She  goes  to  him  volun- 
tarily at  the  end  of  each  visit.  There  is  no  coercion." 
He  met  John  Tulhs's  stony  gaze  without  flinching.  "I 
insist  that  she  has  been  stolen  by  these  brigands  in  the 
hills,  to  be  held  for  ransom." 

The  stories  of  the  maid,  the  footmen,  the  groundmen 
were  all  to  the  eflPect  that  the  Countess  had  not  returned 
to  her  father's  home  after  leaving  the  fete  next  door. 
There  were  no  signs  of  a  struggle  in  the  garden,  nor 
had  there  been  the  slightest  noise  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  waiting  maid.  It  was  not  impossible,  after  all, 
that  she  had  slipped  away  of  her  own  accord,  pos- 
^essed  of  a  sudden  vrhim  or  impulse. 


156  TRUXTON  KING 

The  new  man-servant,  suspected  by  the  Countess  her- 
self, passed  througli  the  examination  creditably.  Tullis, 
of  course,  had  not  j-et  told  Dangloss  of  the  Countess's 
own  suspicions  concerning  this  man.  They  were  a  part  of 
their  joint  secret.  The  American  felt  sure,  however, 
that  this  man  knew  more  of  the  night's  work  than  he 
had  told.  He  conveyed  this  belief  to  Dangloss,  and  a 
close  watch  was  set  upon  the  fellow.  More  than  once 
during  the  long  afternoon  John  Tullis  found  himself 
wishing  that  he  had  that  dare-devil,  thoroughbred  young 
countryman  of  his,  Truxton  King,  beside  him;  some- 
thing told  him  that  the  young  man  would  prove  a 
treasure    in  resourcefulness  and  activity. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  a  telegram  was  brought  to  Tullis 
which  upset  all  of  their  calculations  and  caused  the 
minister  of  police  to  swear  softly  in  pure  disgust.  It 
was  from  the  Countess  Marlanx  herself,  sent  from 
Porvrak,  a  station  far  down  the  railway,  in  the  direction 
of  Vienna.  It  was  self-explanatory:  "I  am  going  to 
Schloss  Marlanx,  there  to  end  my  days.  There  is  no 
hope  for  me.  I  go  voluntariW.  Will  you  not  understand 
why  I  am  leaving  Edelweiss.?  You  must  know."  It  was 
signed  "Ingomede." 

Tullis  was  dumbfounded.  He  caught  the  penetrating 
glance  of  Dangloss  and  flushed  under  the  sudden  knowl- 
edge that  this  shrewd  old  man  also  understood  why  she 
was  leaving  Edelweiss.  Because  of  him!  Because  she 
loved  him  and  would  not  be  near  him.  His  heart  swelled 
exultantly  in  the  next  moment ;  a  brave  resolve  was  born 
within  him. 

"We  don't  need  a  key  to  that,  my  boy,"  said  the  Baron 
indulgently.  "But  I  will  say  that  she  has  damned  little 
consideration  for  you  when  she  steals  away  in  the  dead 
of  night,  without  a  word.     In  a  ball  dress,  too.     Un- 


\ 


STRANGE  DISAPPEARANCES  157 

feeling,  I'd  say.     Well,  we  can  devote  our  attention  to 
Mr.  King,  who  is  lost." 

"See  here,  Baron,"  said  Tullis  after  a  moment,  "I  want 
you  to  give  me  a  couple  of  good  men  for  a  few  days. 
I'm  going  to  Schloss  Marlanx.  I'll  get  her  away  from 
that  place  if  I  have  to  kill  Marlanx  and  swing  for  it." 

At  seven  o'clock  that  night,  accompanied  by  two  clever 
secret  service  men,  Tullis  boarded  the  train  for  the 
West.  A  man  who  stood  in  the  tobacconist's  shop  on 
the  station  platform  smiled  quietly  to  himself  as  the 
train  pulled  out.  Then  he  walked  briskly  away.  It  was 
Peter  Brutus,  the  lawj^er. 

A  most  alluring  trap  had  been  set  for  John  Tullis ! 

The  party  that  had  gone  to  Ganlook  Gap  in  charge  of 
Count  Vos  Engo  returned  at  nightfall,  no  wiser  than 
when  it  left  the  barracks  at  noon.  Riding  bravely,  but 
somewhat  dejectedly  beside  the  handsome  young  officer 
in  command  was  a  girl  in  grey.  It  was  her  presence  with 
the  troop  that  had  created  comment  at  the  gates  earlier 
in  the  day.  No  one  could  understand  why  she  was  riding 
forth  upon  what  looked  to  be  a  dangerous  mission.  Least 
of  all.  Count  Vos  Engo,  who  had  striven  vainly  to  dis- 
suade her  from  the  purpose  to  accompany  the  soldiers. 

Now  she  was  coming  home  with  them,  silent,  subdued, 
dispirited — even  more  so  than  she  allowed  the  Count  to 
see. 

"I  was  hateful  to  him  yesterday,"  she  said  penitently, 
as  they  rode  into  the  city.  Vos  Engo  had  been  thinking 
of  something  else:  the  remark  disturbed  him. 

"He    was    very    presumptuous — yesterday,"    he    said 
crossly. 
She  transfixed  him  with  a  look  meant  to  be  reproachful. 

"That's  why  I  managed  the  ticket  for  Bobby's  circus," 
she  said,  looking  ahead  with  a  genuinely  mournful  droop 


158  TRUXTON  KING 

of  her  lip.     "I  was  sorry  for  him.     Oh,  dear,  oh,  dear^ 
What  will  his  poor  mother  say — and  his  sister?" 

"We've  done  all  we  can,  Loraine.  Except  to  cable," 
he  added  sourly. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so.  Poor  fellow  1" 
Colonel  Quinnox  and  his  men  had  been  scouring  the 
hills  for  bandits.  They  arrived  at  the  Witch's  cabin  a 
few  minutes  after  Vos  Engo  and  his  company.  Dis- 
regarding the  curses  of  the  old  woman,  a  thorough 
search  of  the  place  was  made.  The  forest,  the  ravine, 
the  mountainside  for  a  mile  or  more  in  all  directions  were 
gone  over  by  the  searchers.  There  was  absolutely  no 
sign  of  the  missing  man,  nor  was  there  the  least  Indica- 
tion that  there  had  been  foul  play. 

The  old  woman's  story,  reflected  by  the  grandson,  was 
convincing  so  far  as  It  went.  She  said  that  the  young 
man  remained  behind  in  the  kitchen  to  puzzle  himself 
over  the  smoke  mystery,  while  she  went  out  to  her  door- 
step. The  man  with  the  horses  became  frightened  when 
she  went  down  to  explain  the  situation  to  him.  He  fled. 
A  few  minutes  later  the  gentleman  emerged,  to  find  his 
horse  gone,  himself  deserted.  Cursing,  he  sti-uck  off' 
do\sTi  the  glen  in  pursuit  of  his  friend,  and  that  was  the 
last  she  saw  of  him.  Not  long  afterward  she  heard  shoot- 
ing in  the  Gap  and  sent  her  grandson  to  see  if  anything 
could  have  happened  to  her  late  visitor,  who.  It  seems, 
owed  her  one  hundred  gavvos  as  a  forfeit  of  some  sortc 

The  further  prosecution  of  the  search  was  left  to 
Colonel  Quinnox  and  his  men.  Loraine,  shuddering,  but 
resolute,  had  witnessed  the  ransacking  of  the  hut,  had 
urged  the  arrest  of  the  hag,  and  had  come  away  dis- 
heartened but  satisfied  that  the  woman  had  told  them 
the  truth.  Quinnox's  theory  was  accepted  by  all.  He 
believed  that  King  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  brigands 


Copyright,  1909,  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Company 


bobby!  don't  be  foolish,     how  could  I  BE  IN 

LOVE    WITH  HIM  ?  '  "' 


STRANGE  DISAPPEARANCES  159 

and  that  a  heavy  ransom  would  be  demanded  for  his 
release. 

In  a  warm-tinted  room  at  the  Castle,  later  on  in  the 
evening,  the  Prince,  iu  pajamas,  was  discoursing 
bravely  on  the  idiosyncrasies  of  Fate.  His  only  auditor 
was  the  mournful  Loraine,  who  sat  beside  the  roval 
bed  in  which  he  wriggled  vaguely.  The  attendants  were 
far  down  the  room. 

"Never  mind,  Aunt  Loraine,  you  can't  help  it.  I'm 
just  as  sorry  as  3'ou  are.  Say,  are  you  in  love  with 
him?" 

"In  love  with  whom.^" 

"Mr.  King." 

"Of  course  not,  silly.  T^Tiat  an  absurd  question.  I  do 
not  know  him  at  all." 

"That's  all  right.  Aunt  Loraine.  I  believe  in  love  at 
first  sight.     He  is  a " 

"Bobby  !  Don't  be  foolish.  How  could  I  be  in  love 
with  Jiim?'' 

"Well,  you  can't  help  it  sometimes.  Even  princes  faU 
in  love  without  knowino;  it." 

"I  suppose  so,"  dreamily. 

"It's  mighty  hard  to  make  up  your  mind  which  one 
you  love  best,  though.  Dr.  Barrett's  daughter  in  New 
York  is  awful  nice,  but  I  think  she's " 

"She  is  twenty  years  older  than  you,  Bobby,  if  you 
mean  to  say  you  are  in  love  with  her." 

"Well,  but  I'll  grow  up,  auntie.  Anyhow,  Paula 
Vedrcwski  is  not  so  old  as  I.     She  is " 

"For  heaven's  sake,  Bobby,  do  go  to  sleep !" 

"Don't  3-0U  care  to  hear  about  mi/  love  affairs.''" 

"You  are  perfectly  ridiculous!'^ 

"All  right  for  you,  auntie.  I  shan't  listen  when  you 
want  to  tell  me  about  you~^.     Gee,  Uncle  Jack  listens. 


160  TRUXTON  KING 

you  bet.  I  wish  he  was  here  this  minute.  Sa}'-,  is  he 
ever  going  to  get  married?"  There  was  no  answer. 
He  peered  over  the  top  of  the  pillow.  There  were  tears 
in  his  Aunt  Loraine's  e3^es.  "Oh,  say,  auntie,  darling, 
don't  cry !  I'll — I'll  go  to  sleep,  honest  !'* 

She  was  not  in  love  with  Truxton  King,  but  she  was 
a  fine,  tender-hearted  girl,  who  suffered  because  of  the 
thing  that  had  happened  to  him  and  because  she  loved 
his  sister. 

Over  in  the  Hotel  Regengetz,  on  a  little  table  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  lay  a  thick  envelope  with  the  royal 
arms  emblazoned  in  the  upper  comer.  It  contained  an 
invitation  to  the  private  circus  that  had  been  arranged 
for  the  little  Prince,  and  it  bore  the  name  of  Truxton 
King. 

Across  the  foot  of  the  bed  hung  his  evening  clothes^ 
laid  out  by  a  faithful  and  well-tipped  house  valet,  snug 
and  ready  for  iastant  use. 

But  where  was  Truxton  King.? 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  IRON  COUNT 


When  King,  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  grasped  the 
old  woman  to  keep  her  from  falhng  to  the  floor,  he 
played  directly  into  the  hands  of  very  material  agencies 
under  her  control.  There  was  nothing  ghostly  or  even 
spiritual  in  the  incidents  that  followed  close  upon  the 
simulated  fainting  spell  of  the  fortune-teller.  It  has  been 
said  before  that  her  bony  fingers  closed  upon  his  arms  in 
a  far  from  feeble  manner.  He  had  no  time  for  surprise 
at  this  sudden  recovery ;  there  was  only  time  to  see  a 
fiendish  grin  flash  into  her  face.  The  next  instant  some- 
thing struck  him  in  the  face ;  then  with  a  fierce  jerk  this 
same  object  tightened  about  his  neck.  His  attempt  to 
yell  out  was  checked  before  a  sound  could  issue  from  his 
lips. 

It  all  came  to  him  in  a  flash.  A  noose  had  been  dropped 
over  his  head ;  as  he  was  pulled  backward,  his  startled, 
bulging  eyes  swept  the  ceiling.  The  mystery  was  ex- 
plained, but  in  a  manner  that  left  him  small  room  for 
satisfaction.  Above  him  a  square  opening  had  appeared 
in  the  ceiling ;  two  ugly,  bearded  faces  were  leaning  over 
the  edge  and  strong  hands  were  grasping  a  thick  rope. 

In  a  frenzy  of  fear  and  desperation  he  cast  the  old 
woman  from  him  and  tore  violently  at  the  rope. 

They  were  drawing  hard  from  above;  his  toes  were 
barely  touching  the  floor;  he  was  strangling.  Fran- 
tically he  grasped  the  rope,  Hfting  himself  from  the 
floor  in  the  efi'ort  to  loosen  the  noose  with  his  free  hand. 
A  hoarse  laugh  broke  upon  his  dinning  ears,  the  leering 
faces  drew  nearer;  and  then,  as  everything  went  blacky 


163  TRUXTON  KING 

a  heavy,  yet  merciful  blow  fell  upon  his  head.  As  con- 
sciousness left  him,  he  felt  himself  rushing  dizzily  up- 
ward, grasped  by  powerful  hands  and  whisked  through 
the  opening  into  air  so  hot  and  stiffling  that  his  last 
thought  was  of  the  fires  of  Hell. 

Not  many  minutes  passed  before  consciousness,  which 
had  been  but  partially  lost,  returned  to  him.  The  ring- 
ing sensation  remained  in  his  head,  but  he  was  no  longer 
choking.  The  noose  had  been  removed  from  his  neck; 
the  rope  itself  was  now  serving  as  a  bond  for  his  hands 
and  feet,  a  fact  that  impressed  itself  upon  him  when  he 
tried  to  rise.  For  some  time  he  lay  perfectly  still, 
urging  his  senses  into  play :  wondering  where  he  was  and 
what  had  happened  to  him. 

It  was  pitch  dark  and  the  air  was  hot  and  close.  Not 
a  sound  came  to  his  throbbing  ears.  With  characteristic 
irrepressibility  he  began  to  swear  softly,  but  articu- 
lately. Proof  that  his  profanity  was  mild — one  might 
say  genteel — came  in  an  instant.  A  gruff  voice,  start- 
lingly  near  at  hand,  interrupted  him. 

"Spit  it  out,  young  feller !  Swear  like  a  man,  not  like 
a  damn  canary  bird." 

Truxton  tried  hard  to  pierce  the  darkness,  a  strange 
thrill  passing  through  his  veins.  The  hidden  speaker 
was  unquestionably  an  American. 

"What  the  devil  does  all  this  mean?"  demanded  the 
captive.    "Where  am  I.'^" 

"It  means  business,  and  you're  here,  that's  where  you 
are,"  was  the  sarcastic  answer. 

"Are  you  an  American?" 

"No.     I'm  a  Chinaman." 

"Oh,  come  off!     Answer  square." 

"Well,  I  was  bom  in  Newport."  As  an  afterthought? 
"Kentucky." 


THE  mON  COUNT  163 

*'You're  in  a  damned  nice  business,  I'll  say  that  for 
you,"  growled  Truxton.  "Who  is  responsible  for  this 
outrage  ?" 

He  heard  the  man  yawn  prodigiously.  "Depends  on 
what  you  call  an  outrage." 

"This  is  the  damnedest  high-handed  outrage  I've 
ever " 

"Better  save  your  breath,  young  feller.  You  won't 
have  it  very  long,  so  save  what  you  can  of  it." 

Truxton  was  silent  for  a  moment,  analysing  this  unique 
remark.  "You  mean  I  am  to  stop  breathing  alto- 
gether.''" 

"Something  like  that." 

"Why?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"You  don't  know?    Well,  who  does?" 

"You'll  find  out  when  the  boss  gets  good  and  ready." 

"You  are  a  fine  American!" 

"Look  here,  young  feller,  I've  been  polite  to  you,  so 
don't  get  gay.  I'll  come  over  there  and  kick  your  jaw 
in." 

"Come  ahead.     Anything  to  break  the  monotony." 

"Didn't  you  get  enough  of  the  hangman's  knot  and 
the  sandbag?  Want  more,  eh?  Well,  if  I  wasn't  so 
darned  comfortable  I'd  come  over  there  and  give  it  to 
you.    Now  don't  rile  me !" 

"I  deserve  to  be  kicked  for  being  such  a  blithering  fool 
as  to  get  into  this  mess.     Come  on  and  kick  me." 

"You  wanted  to  get  a  poke  at  the  old  man's  eye,  did 
ye?  By  thunder,  that's  like  an  American.  Never  satis- 
fied to  let  things  alone.     See  what  it  got  you  into?" 

"The  old  man's  eye?     What  old  man?" 

"That's  for  you  to  find  out,  if  j^ou  can.  You've  made 
a  hell  of  a  poor  start  at  iL" 


164  TRUXTON  KING 

"You're  a  good-natured  scoundrel." 

"Thanks  for  them  kind  words." 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  me?  I  don't 
like  the  air  in  here.  It's  awful.  How  long  do  I  stay 
here.?" 

"Say,  you're  a  gritty  httle  man.  I  like  your  nerv'e. 
Too  bad  we  ain't  on  the  same  side.  I'll  tell  you  this: 
you  won't  be  here  long.  How  would  the  old  girl  down 
there  put  it.^  You're  going  on  a  long  voyage.  That's 
it.  But  first  we'll  get  out  of  this  rat  hole,  just  as  soon 
as  them  other  guys  come  back  from  the  cave.  You'll 
get  fresh  air  purty  soon.  Now,  don't  talk  any  more. 
I'm  through  gossipin'  I" 

"How  do  you,  an  Anierican,  happen  to  be  mixed  up  in 
a  deal  like  this.^" 

"It's  healthier  work  than  makin'  barrels  at — I  was  goin' 
to  say  Sing  Sing,  but  I  hear  they've  changed  the  name. 
I  prefer  outdoor  work." 

"Fugitive,  eh.-^" 

"You  might  call  it  that.  I'm  wanted  in  seven  States. 
The  demand  for  me  is  great." 

Truxion  saw  that  he  could  get  nothing  out  of  ^.he 
satirical  rascal,  so  fell  to  speculating  for  himself.  That 
he  was  still  in  the  loft  above  the  hovel  was  more  or  less 
clear  to  him.  His  mind,  now  active,  ran  back  to  the 
final  scene  in  the  kitchen.  The  trap-door  in  the  ceiling, 
evidently  a  sliding  arrangement,  explained  the  mysteri- 
ous disappearance  of  the  owner  of  the  eye ;  he  had  been 
whisked  up  through  the  aperture  by  confederates  and 
the  trap-door  closed  before  it  could  be  discovered.  The 
smoking  kettle  no  longer  puzzled  him,  now  that  he 
knew  of  the  secret  room  above  the  kitchen ;  a  skilfully 
concealed  blow-pipe  could  have  produced  the  phenom- 
enon.    The  space  in  which  he  was  now  Ijung,  half  suf- 


THE  IRON  COUNT  165 

focated,  was  doubtless  a  part  of  the  cleverly  designed 
excavation  at  the  back  of  the  hovel,  the  lower  half  being 
the  kitchen,  the  upper  an  actual  gateway  to  the  open 
air  somewhere  in  the  mountainside. 

That  he  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  band  of  con- 
spirators was  also  quite  clear  to  him.  Whether  they 
were  brigands  or  more  important  operators  against  the 
Crown,  he  was,  of  course,  in  no  position  to  decide.  Time 
would  tell. 

It  was  enough  that  they  expected  to  kill  him,  sooner 
or  later.  This,  in  itself,  was  sufficient  to  convince  him 
that  he  was  not  to  be  held  for  ransom,  but  to  be  disposed 
of  for  reasons  best  known  to  his  captors. 

Like  a  shot  the  warning  of  Olga  Platanova  flashed  into 
his  brain.  Here,  then,  was  the  proof  that  she  actually 
knew  of  the  peril  he  was  in.  But  why  should  he  be  an 
object  of  concern  to  these  men,  whoever  they  were?  His 
guard  had  mentioned  *'the  old  man."  Good  heavens, 
could  he  mean  Spantz.^^  The  cold  perspiration  was 
standing  on  King's  brow.  Spantz !  He  recalled  the 
wickedness  in  the  armourer's  face.  But  why  should 
Spantz  wish  him  evil?  Again  intuition,  encouraged  by 
memory,  supphed  him  with  a  possible,  even  plausible  ex- 
planation. 

The  Anarchists !  The  Reds !  Olga  was  an  avowed 
Anarchist ;  she  was  almost  a  prisoner  in  the  house  of  her 
uncle.  Truxton's  guard  sat  up  suddenly  and  felt  for 
his  weapon  when  the  captive  let  out  a  bitter  oath  of 
understanding  and  rage. 

"By  gad,  they  think  I  am  a  detective !"  he  added,  light 
coming  to  hi^--^   ^ith  a  rush. 

"What's  tha;f:r''  snapped  the  other.  Truxton  could 
almost  feel  the  other's  body  grow  tense  despite  the  space 
between  them.     "Are  you  a  detective?     Ai'^  you.'^     By 


166  TRUXTON  KING 

God,    if    you    are,    I'll    finish    you    up    right    here. 


You " 

"No!  They're  on  the  wrong  scent.  By  Jove,  the 
laugh's  on  old  man  Spantz." 

"Oho!  So  you  do  know  what's  up,  then?  Spantz,  eh? 
Well,  what  you've  guessed  at  or  found  out  won't  make, 
much  difference,  my  fine  young  fellow.  They've  goij 
you,  and  you'll  be  worse  off  than  Danny  Deever  in  the 
mornin' !  Hello  !  Here  they  come.  Now  we'll  get  out 
of  this  infernal  bake-oven.  Say,  do  you  know,  you've 
been  cuddlin'  up  against  a  j'int  of  warm  stove  pipe  for 
nearly  an  hour  ?     Sh !" 

The  glimmer  of  a  light  came  bobbing  up  from  some- 
where behind  Truxton;  he  could  see  the  flickering 
shadows  on  the  wall.  Two  men  crept  into  the  room  a 
moment  later.  One  of  them  carried  a  lantern ;  the  other 
turned  King's  body  over  with  his  foot. 

"You  damned  brute,"  grated  the  captive. 

"Call  him  what  you  like,  young  feller,"  said  his  first 
acquaintance.  "He  can't  understand  a  word  you  say. 
Well,  do  we, pull  out?"  This  to  the  man  with  the  lan- 
tern. 

The  roof  was  so  low  that  they  were  compelled  to  stoop 
in  moving  about.  Truxton  saw  that  the  three  ruffians 
were  great,  brutal-faced  fellows,  with  bared  arms  that 
denoted  toil  as  well  as  spoils. 

"Immediate !"  said  the  lantern  bearer.  "Come ;  we  dragj 
him  to  the  cave."  V 

"Drag?  Nix;  we  c'n  carry  him,  pard.  I'm  not  for 
draggin'  him  down  that  passage.  Grab  hold  there, — 
ycu  1  Hey,  get  his  feet,  damn  you !"  The  third  man 
was  reluctant  to  understand,  but  at  >.^c  grasped  the 
prisoner  by  the  feet,  swearing  in  a  language  jf  his  own. 
The  Yankee  desperado  took  his  shoulders,  and  together, 


THE  IRON  COUNT  167 

with  earnest  grunts,  they  followed  the  man  with  the 
lantern,  Tnixton  knew  not  whither  except  that  it  wa^ 
away  from  the  wretched  sweat-hole. 

He  could  see  that  they  were  crowding  through  a  low, 
narrow  passage,  the  earthen  sides  of  which  reeked  with 
moisture.  Twice  they  paused  to  rest,  resuming  the 
journey  after  a  season  of  cursing,  finally  depositing 
nim  with  scant  courtesy  upon  the  rocky  floor  of  what 
proved  to  be  a  rather  commodious  cave.  The  breath  was 
almost  jarred  from  his  body.  He  had  the  satisfaction 
of  driving  his  two  heels  viciously  against  the  person  of 
the  man  who  had  held  them  the  last  ten  minutes,  re- 
ceiving a  savage  kick  in  return. 

Daylight  streamed  into  this  convenient  "hole  in  the 
wall  •"  lying  upon  his  side,  Truxton  faced  the  opening 
that  looked  out  upon  the  world.  He  saw  nothing  but 
blue  sky.  Near  the  opening,  looking  down  as  if  into 
the  valley  below,  stood  the  tall,  gaunt  figure  of  a  man, 
thin-shouldered  and  stooped.  His  back  was  to  the  cap- 
tive, but  King  observ-ed  that  the  three  men,  with  two 
companions,  who  sat  at  the  back  of  the  cave,  never  re- 
moved their  gaze  from  the  striking  figure  outlined 
against  the  sky. 

Many  minutes  passed  before  the  watcher  turned 
slowly  to  take  in  the  altered  conditions  behind  him. 
King  saw  that  he  was  old ;  grey-haired  and  cadaverous, 
'with  sharp,  hawk-like  features.  This,  then,  was  the  "old 
man,"  and  he  was  not  Wilham  Spantz.  Unlike  Spantz 
in  every  particular  was  this  man  who  eyed  him  so  darkly, 
so  coldly.  Here  was  a  highborn  man,  a  man  whose  very 
manners  bespoke  for  him  years  at  court,  a  life  spent  in 
the  upper  world,  not  among  the  common  people.  Trux* 
ton  found  himself  returning  the  stare  with  an  interest 
that  brought  results. 


168  TRUXTON  KING 

"Your  name  is  King,  I  believe,"  came  from  the  thin 
lips  of  the  old  man.  The  tones  were  as  metallic  as  the 
click  of  steel. 

"Yes.    May  I  inquire " 

"No,  3'ou  may  not  inquire.  Put  a  gag  in  hiis  mouth. 
I  don't  care  to  hear  anything  from  him.  Gag  him  and 
cut  the  rope  from  his  feet.    He  may  walk  from  now  on.'* 

Three  men  sprang  to  do  his  bidding. 

King  felt  in  that  instant  that  he  was  looking  for  the 
first  time  upon  the  features  of  the  Iron  Count,  Marlanx 
the  dishonoured.  He  lay  there  helpless,  speechless  for 
many  minutes,  glancing  at  this  cruel  tyrant.  Into  his 
soul  sank  the  conviction  that  no  mercy  would  come  from 
this  man,  this  hater  of  all  men ;  justice  would  play  no 
part  in  the  final,  sickening  tragedy.  It  was  enough  that 
Marlanx  suspected  him  of  being  in  the  way ;  to  be  sus- 
pected was  to  be  condemned.  The  whole,  hellish  con- 
spiracy flashed  through  his  brain.  He  closed  his  eyes 
with  the  horror  of  it  all. 

Here  was  Marlanx  on  Graustark  soil,  conniving  with 
cutthroats,  commanding  them  without  opposition.  WTiat 
could  it  mean  except  a  swift-growing  menace  to  the 
Crown — to  the  little  Prince." 

Marlanx  was  speaking.  Truxton  looked  up,  as  at  an 
executioner.  The  lean,  cruel  face  of  that  beautiful  girl's 
husband  was  not  far  from  his  own ;  the  fiery  eyes  were 
burning  into  his.  The  Iron  Count  sat  upon  a  boulder 
near  his  feet. 

"So  you  are  the  Quixote  who  would  tilt  at  invisible 
windmills,  eh?  I  remember  you  quite  well.  We  have 
met  before.  Perhaps  you  remember  meeting  my  eye  in 
Dame  Babba's  cabin — ^twice,  I  think.  You  remember, 
I  see.  Ha,  ha !  You  were  very  slow  not  to  have  caught 
such  an  old  man.     You  were  near  to  it  the  first  time, 


THE  IRON  COUNT  169 

but — you  missed  it,  eh?  I  thought  you  might  have  seen 
my  heels  as  I  disappeared.  I  dare  say  you  are  wonder- 
ing what  I  intend  to  do  with  you,  now  that  I  have  you. 
Well,  I  ?.m  not  the  man  to  mince  words.  Mr.  King,  you 
are  quite  young,  but  the  good  die  young.  I  am  very  old, 
you  observe.  I  will  not  say  that  you  are  to  die  to-nighl 
or  to-morrow  or  any  day,  for  I  do  not  know.  I  am  going 
to  send  you  to  a  court.  Not  an  ordinary  court,  Mr. 
King,  but  one  of  extreme  perspicacity.  I  fancy  you  will 
die  before  long.  We  can  spare  you.  I  do  not  approve 
of  meddlers.  It  seems  to  be  quite  settled  that  you  are  a 
police  agent.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  imagine  our  little 
court  of  last  resort  will  take  no  chances,  one  way  or  the 
other.  A  man  or  two,  more  or  less,  will  not  be  counted 
a  year  from  now." 

The  steady,  cruel  eyes  fascinated  King.  He  knew  that 
he  was  in  desperate  straits,  that  he  had  one  chance  in  a 
million  to  escape,  and  yet  he  found  himself  held  by  the 
spell  of  those  eyes,  drinking  in  certain  metallic  mono- 
tones as  if  hypnotised. 

"I  am  glad  you  called  again  at  my  temporary  abode, 
Mr.  King.  Americans  are  always  welcome:  the  sooner 
they  come,  the  sooner  it's  over.  It  may  interest  you  to 
know  that  I  am  very  partial  to  Americans.  Were  I  a 
cannibal,  I  could  eat  them  with  relish.  If  I  had  mj  way, 
all  Americans  should  be  in  heaven.  The  earth  surely  is 
not  good  enough  nor  big  enough  for  them,  and  hell  is 
already  overcrowded.  Yes,"  reflectively  pressing  hit 
nose  with  a  bony  forefinger,  "I  love  the  Americans  dearly. 
I  should  enjoy  a  similar  visit  from  Mr.  John  Tullis.  Al- 
though, I  may  say,  he  seems  to  be  choosing  another  way 
of  testing  my  hospitality.  I  expect  him  to  visit  me  in 
my  humble  castle  before  many  days.  I  should  like  to 
have  him  remain  there  until  his  dying  day."    There  was 


170  TKUXTON  KING 

a  deep  significance  in  his  smile.  King  shuddered.  His 
gaze  followed  the  gaunt,  spidery  old  man  as  he  returned 
to  the  opening  for  another  long  survey  of  the  valley 
below.  Night  was  falling ;  the  sky  was  growing  darker, 
and  the  wind  was  rising.  Marlanx's  shai^p  features  were 
not  so  distinguishable  when  he  returned  to  the  boulder. 
The  men  in  the  cave  had  not  spoken  except  in  whispers. 
Tliey  appeared  to  be  living  in  abject  fear  of  this  grim 
old  nobleman. 

"Night  is  coming.  I  must  say  farewell,  my  bold  3'oung 
friend.  My  way  lies  to  the  north.  This  is  merely  a  land 
of  promise  to  me.  You  go  southward,  to  the  city  of 
Edelweiss.  But  not  through  the  gates ;  oh,  no !  There 
are  other  ways,  as  you  will  find.  If  you  should,  by  any 
chance,  escape  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  I  am  sending 
you  to,  I  sincerely  trust  you  may  honour  me  with  an- 
other visit  here.  I  come  often  to  the  hovel  in  the  glen. 
It  is  the  only  friendly  house  I  know  of  in  all  Graustark. 
Some  day  I  may  be  able  to  recompense  its  beauteou? 
mistress.  My  good  friends,  Dangloss,  and  Halfont,  ancf 
Braze — and  Tulhs,  whom  I  know  only  by  reputation- 
are,  as  yet,  unaware  of  my  glorious  return  to  Graustark^ 
else  they  would  honour  me  with  their  distinguished  pres- 
ence. Some  day  I  may  invite  them  to  dine  with  me.  I 
shall  enjoy  seeing  them  eat  of  the  humble  pie  I  can  put 
before  them.  Good-bye,  my  brave  Sir  Galahad;  I  may 
never  see  you  again." 

With  a  courtly  bow  he  turned  from  the  tense-muscled 
captive  and  directed  his  final  instructions  to  the  men. 
"Take  him  at  once  to  the  city,  but  be  on  your  guard.  A 
single  false  move  now  means  utter  ruin  for  all  of  us.  Our 
affairs  go  so  well  at  present  that  we  cannot  afford  t(? 
af^end  Dame  Fortune.  She  smiles  on  us,  my  men.  Take 
this  fool  to  the  house  on  the  Monastery  road.    There  you 


THE  IRON  COUNT  171 

will  turn  him  over  to  the  others.  It  is  for  them  to  drag 
the  truth  from  his  lips.  I'd  suggest,  dear  Mr.  King, 
that  you  tell  them  all  3-0U  know  before  they  begin  the 
dragging  process.  It  is  a  very  unpleasant  way  they 
have."  With  a  curt  nod  to  the  men,  he  strode  out 
through  the  mouth  of  the  cave  and  was  gone.  Dusk  had 
settled  down  upon  mountain  and  valley ;  a  thin  fog  swam 
high  in  the  air  above.  One  of  the  men  cut  the  rope  that 
bound  Truxton's  feet. 

"Get  up,"  said  the  Newport  man.  "We've  got  to  be 
movin'.  How'd  you  like  the  old  man?  Smart  bug, 
ain't  he.^  Say,  he'll  throw  the  hooks  into  them  guys 
down  in  Edelweiss  so  hard  one  of  these  days  that  they 
won't  come  out  till  they  rot  out." 

Still  gagged  and  somewhat  dizzy,  King  was  hurried  off 
into  the  narrow  mountain  path,  closely  surrounded  by 
the  five  men. 

"They  tell  me  your  friend,  the  Cook  guy,  got  plugged 
down  in  the  Gap  when  he  tried  to  duck  this  afternoon," 
volunteered  the  Yankee  unconcernedly. 

Hobbs  shot?  King's  eyes  suddenly  filled  with  tears,  a 
great  wave  of  pity  and  shame  rushing  to  his  heart. 
Poor  Hobbs  !  He  had  led  him  into  this  ;  to  gratify  a  vain- 
glorious whim,  he  had  done  the  little  Enghshman  to  death. 

The  silent,  cautious  march  down  the  valley,  through  the 
Gap  and  along  the  ridge  carried  them  far  into  the  night. 
King  knew  that  they  were  skirting  the  main  roads, 
keeping  to  the  almost  hidden  trails  of  the  mountaineers. 
Thev  carried  no  hght,  nor  did  they  speak  to  each  other, 
except  in  hoarse  whispers.  In  single  file  they  made  their 
way,  the  prisoner  between  them,  weary,  footsore  and 
now  desperate  in  the  full  realisation  of  his  position. 
Being  gagged,  he  could  make  no  appeal  to  the  one  man 
who  might  befriend  him — his  villainous  countryman.    It 


172  TRUXTOX  KIXG 

occurred  to  him — grim  thought — that  the  astute 
Marlanx  had  considered  that  very  probabihty,  and  had 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  resort  to  the  cupidity  of 
the  hirehng. 

At  last,  when  he  could  scarcely  drag  his  feet  after  him, 
they  came  to  a  halt.  A  consultation  followed,  but  he 
could  not  understand  a  word.  This  much  he  knew :  they 
were  in  the  hills  directly  above  the  northern  gates.  Two 
of  the  men  went  forward,  moving  with  extreme  caution. 
In  half  an  hour  they  returned  and  the  march  was  re- 
sumed. 

Their  next  halt  came  sooner  than  he  expected.  The 
vague,  black  shadow  of  a  lightless  house  loomed  up  be- 
fore them.  In  a  twinkling  he  was  hustled  across  the 
road  and  into  a  door.  Then  down  a  flight  of  stairs, 
through  pitchy  darkness,  guided  by  two  of  the  men,  a 
whispered  word  of  advice  now  and  then  from  the  Yankee 
saving  him  from  perilous  stumbles.  He  was  jerked  up 
sharply  with  a  command  to  stand  still.  A  light  flashed 
suddenly  in  his  face,  blinding  him  for  the  moment. 
Voices  in  eager,  quick  conversation  came  to  his  ears  long 
before  his  eyes  could  take  in  the  situation. 

Soon  he  saw  that  they  were  in  a  broad,  bare  cellar; 
three  men  in  heavy  black  beards  were  in  earnest  conversa- 
tion with  several  of  his  captors  ;  all  were  gesticulating 
fiercely. 

His  Newport  companion  enlightened  him,  between  puffs 
of  the  pipe  he  was  struggling  with.  ''Here's  where  we 
say  good-bye,  young  fellow.  We  turn  you  over  to  these 
gents,  whoever  they  are.  I'm  sort  of  out  of  it  when 
they  get  to  jabberin'  among  themselves.  I  can  under- 
stand 'em  when  they  talk  slow,  but,  say,  did  you  ever 
hear  a  flock  of  Union  Square  sparrows  chirp  faster  than 
them    fellers    is   talkin'   now.^      Nix.      You   go   into  the 


THE  IRON  COUNT  173 

village  gay  with  these  Schwabs  by  the  sewer  line,  I 
guess."  Truxton  pricked  up  his  ears.  "The  old  man 
has  had  a  hole  chopped  in  the  sewer  here,  they  tell  me, 
and  it's  a  snap  to  get  into  the  city.  Not  very  clean  or 
neat,  but  it  gets  you  there.  Well,  so  long !  They're 
ready,  I  see.  They  don't  monke}^  long  when  they've  got 
a  thing  to  do.  I'd  advise  you  not  to  be  too  stubborn 
when  they  get  you  to  headquarters  ;  it  ma^^  go  easier  with 
you.  I'm  not  so  damned  bad,  young  feller.  It's  just 
the  business  I'm  in — -and  the  company." 

King  felt  a  thrill  of  real  regard  for  the  rascal.  He 
nodded  his  thanks  and  tried  to  smile.  The  fellow 
grinned  and  slapped  him  on  the  shoulder,  unobserved  by 
the  others.  In  another  moment  his  guardianship  was 
transferred;  he  was  being  hurried  across  the  cellar 
toward  an  open  doorway.  Down  a  few  stone  steps  he 
was  led  by  the  bearded  crew,  and  then  pushed  through 
a  hole  in  what  appeared  to  be  a  heav}^  brick  wall.  He 
realised  at  once  where  he  was.  The  gurgle  of  running 
water,  the  odor  of  foul  airs  came  up  to  him.  It  was  the 
great  sewer  that  ran  from  the  hills  through  the  heart 
of  the  city,  flushed  continuously  by  a  diverted  mountain 
stream  that  swept  down  from  above. 

He  was  wading  in  cold  water  over  a  slippery  bottom, 
tightly  held  by  two  men,  the  third  going  ahead  with  the 
lantern.  Always  ahead  loomed  the  black,  opaque  circle 
which  never  came  nearer,  never  grew  smaller.  It  was  the 
ever  receding  wall  of  darkness.  ? 

He  did  not  know  how  long  they  traversed  the  chill 
sewer  in  this  fashion.  In  time,  however,  the  water  got 
deeper;  rats  began  to  scurry  along  the  sides  of  the 
circle  or  to  swim  frantically  on  in  front  of  the  disturb- 
ers. The  smells  were  sickening,  overpowering.  Only  ex= 
citementa  curiosity,  youth — whatever  you  may  care  tc 


174^  TRUXTON  KING 

term  It — kept  him  up  and  going.  The  everlasting  glory 
of  youth  never  ends  until  old  age  has  provided  the  surfeit 
of  knowledge ;  the  strife  to  see  ahead,  to  find  out  what  is 
to  be,  to  know, — that  is  youth.  Youth  dies  when  curios- 
ity ends.  The  emotion  is  even  stronger  than  the  dread 
of  what  may  lie  beyond  in  the  pallid  sea  of  uncertainty. 

His  bones  were  chilled  and  creaking  with  fatigue.  He 
was  remorselessly  hungry.  There  was  water,  but  he 
could  not  drink  it. 

At  last  the  strange  journey  ended.  They  came  to  a 
niche  in  the  slimy  wall.  Up  into  this  the  men  climbed, 
dragging  him  after  them.  The  man  above  was  cau- 
tiously tapping  on  what  appeared  to  be  solid  masonry. 
To  King's  surprise  a  section  of  the  wall  suddenly 
opened  before  them.  He  was  seized  from  above  by 
strong  hands  and  literally  jerked  through  the  hole,  his 
companions  following.  Up  narrow  steps,  through  a 
sour-smelling  passage  and — then,  into  a  long,  dimly 
lighted  room,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  a  long  table. 

He  was  not  permitted  to  linger  here  for  long,  but 
passed  on  into  a  small  room  adjoining.  Some  one, 
speaking  in  English,  told  him  to  sit  down.  The  gag  was 
removed  from  his  stiff,  inflamed  mouth. 

"Fetch  him  some  water,"  said  a  voice  that  he  was  sure 
he  recognised — a  high,  querulous  voice. 

"Hello,  Spantz,"  articulated  Truxton,  turning  to  the 
black-bearded,  bent  figure. 

There  was  an  instance  of  silence.  Then  Spantz  spoke, 
with  a  soft  laugh:  "You  will  not  know  so  much  to- 
morrow, Herr  King.  Give  him  the  water,  man.  He 
has  much  to  say  to  us,  and  he  cannot  talk  with  a  dry 
throat." 

"Nor  an  empty  stomach,"  added  King.  He  drank  long 
of  the  pitcher  that  was  held  to  his  lips. 


THE  IRON  COUNT  175 

^*ThIs  is  not  the  Regengetz,"  growled  a  surly  voice. 

"You  mean,  I  don't  eat?" 

"Not  at  midnight,  mj  friend." 

"It  seems  to  be  an  all-night  joint." 

"Enough,"  cried  Spantz.  "Bring  him  out  here.  The 
others  have  come." 

King  was  pushed  out  into  the  larger  room,  where  he' 
was   confronted  by  a   crowd   of  bewhiskered   men  and 
snaky-eyed  women  with  most   intellectual  nose-glasses. 
It    required    but    a    glance    to    convince    him   that    the 
whiskers  were  false. 

For  nearly  an  hour  he  was  probed  with  questions  con- 
cerning his  business  in  Edelweiss.  Threats  followed 
close  upon  his  unsatisfactory  answers,  though  they  were 
absolutely  truthful.  There  was  no  attempt  made  to  dis- 
guise the  fact  that  they  were  conspiring  against  the 
government;  in  fact,  they  were  rather  more  open  than 
secretive.  When  he  thought  of  it  afterward,  a  chill 
crept  over  him.  Thej  would  not  have  spoken  so  openly 
before  him  if  they  entertained  the  slightest  fear  that  he 
would  ever  be  in  a  position  to  expose  them. 

"We'll  find  a  way  to  make  you  talk  to-morrow,  my 
friend.     Starving  is  not  pleasant." 

"You  would  not  starve  me !"  he  cried. 

"No.  You  will  have  the  pleasure  of  starving  yourself,^ 
said  a  thin-eyed  fellow  whom  he  afterward  knew  as  Peter 
Brutus. 

He  was  thrown  back  into  the  little  room.  To  his  sur- 
prise and  gratification,  the  bonds  on  his  wrists  were  re- 
moved. Afterward  he  was  to  know  that  there  was 
method  in  this  action  of  his  gaolers:  his  own  utter  im- 
potency  was  to  be  made  more  galling  to  him  by  the  mad- 
dening knowledge  that  he  possessed  hands  and  feet  and 
Vmgs — and  could  not  use  them ! 


176  TRUXTON  KING 

He  found  a  match  in  his  box  and  struck  it.  There  was 
no  article  of  furniture.  The  floor  was  bare,  the  walls 
green  with  age.  He  had  a  feeling  that  there  would  be 
rats ;  perhaps  lizards.  A  search  revealed  the  fact  that 
his  purse,  his  watch  and  his  pocket-knife  were  missing. 
Another  precious  match  showed  him  that  there  were  no 
windows.  A  chimney  hole  in  the  ceiling  was,  perhaps, 
the  only  means  by  which  fresh  air  could  reach  this  dreary 
place. 

"Well,  I  guess  I'm  here  to  stay,"  he  said  to  himself. 
He  sat  down  with  his  back  to  the  wall,  despair  in  his 
soul.  A  pitiful,  weak  smile  came  to  him  in  the  darkness, 
as  he  thought  of  the  result  of  his  endeavour  to  "show 
off*'  for  the  benefit  of  the  heartless  girl  in  rajah  silk. 
"What  an  ass  I  am,"  he  groaned.  "Now  she  will  never 
know." 

Sleep  was  claiming  his  senses.  He  made  a  pillow  of  his 
coat,  commended  himself  to  the  charity  of  rats  and 
other  horrors,  and  stretched  his  weary  bones  upon  the 
relentless  floor. 

"No  one  will  ever  know,"  he  murmured,  his  last  waking 
thought  being  of  a  dear  one  at  home. 


CHAPTER  XI 

UNDER  THE  GROUND 

Day  and  night  were  the  same  to  the  occupant  of  ^h6 
little  room.  They  passed  with  equal  slowness  and  im- 
partial darkness.  Five  days  that  he  could  account  for 
crawled  by  before  anything  unusual  happened  to  break 
the  strain  of  his  solitary,  inexphcable  confinement.  He 
could  tell  when  it  was  morning  by  the  visit  of  a  be- 
whiskered  chambermaid  with  a  deep  bass  voice,  who  car- 
ried a  lighted  candle  and  kicked  him  into  wakefulness. 
The  second  day  after  his  incarceration  began,  he  was 
given  food  and  drink.  It  was  high  time,  for  he  was 
almost  famished.  Thereafter,  twice  a  day,  he  was  led 
into  the  larger  room  and  given  a  surprisingly  hearty 
meal.  Moreover,  he  was  allowed  to  bathe  his  face  and 
hands  and  indulge  in  half  an  hour's  futile  stretching 
of  limbs.  After  the  second  day  few  questions  were 
asked  by  the  men  who  had  originally  set  themselves  up 
as  inquisitors.  At  first  they  had  treated  him  with  a 
harshness  that  promised  something  worse,  but  an  inci- 
dent occurred  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  that 
changed  the  whole  course  of  their  intentions. 

Peter  Brutus  had  just  voiced  the  pleasure  of  the 
majority  by  urging  the  necessity  for  physical  torture  to 
wring  the  government's  secrets  from  the  prisoner.  King, 
half  famished,  half  crazec  by  thirst,  had  been  Hstening 
to  the  fierce  argument  through  the  thin  door  that  sepa- 
rated the  rooms.  He  heard  the  sudden,  eager  movement 
toward  the  door  of  his  cell,  and  squared  himself  against 
the  opposite  wall,  ready  to  fight  to  the  death.  Thee 
there  came  a  voice  that  he  recognised. 


178  TRUXTON  KING 

A  woman  was  addressing  the  rabid  conspirators  in  tones 
of  deadly  earnestness.  His  heart  gave  a  bound.  It  was 
the  first  time  since  his  incarceration  that  he  had  heard 
the  voice  of  Olga  Platanova,  she  who  had  warned  him, 
she  who  still  must  be  his  friend.  Once  more  he  threw 
himself  to  the  floor  and  glued  his  ear  to  the  crack;  her 
voice  had  not  the  strident  qualities  of  the  other  women 
in  this  lovely  company. 

"You  are  not  to  do  this  thing,"  she  was  saying.  King 
knew  that  she  stood  between  her  companions  and  the 
door.  "You  are  not  to  touch  him!  Do  you  hear  me, 
Peter  Brutus?     All  of  you.?" 

There  followed  the  silence  of  stupefaction,  broken  at 
last  by  a  voice  which  he  recognised  as  that  of  old  man 
Spantz. 

"Olga!      St^nd  aside!" 

"No !  You  shall  not  torture  him.  I  have  said  he  is  no 
spy.  I  still  sa}^  it.  He  knows  nothing  of  the  police  and 
their  plans.  He  has  not  been  spying  upon  us.  I  am 
sure  of  it." 

"How  can  you  be  sure  of  it.?"  cried  a  woman's  voice, 
harsh  and  strident. 

"He  has  played  v>ith  you,"  sneered  another. 

"I  will  not  discuss  the  point.  I  know  he  is  not  what 
you  say  he  is.  You  have  no  right  to  torture  him.  You 
have  no  right  to  hold  him  prisoner." 

"God,  girl,  we  cannot  turn  him  loose  now.  He  mus+- 
never  go  free  again.  He  must  die."  This  was  from 
Spantz. 

"We  cannot  release  him,  I  grant  you,"  she  said,  and 
Truxton's  heart  sank.  "Not  now,  but  afterward,  yes. 
When  it  is  all  over  he  can  do  no  harm.  But,  hear  me 
now,  all  of  you.  If  he  is  harmed  in  any  way,  if  he  is 
maltreated,  or  if  you  pursue  this  design  to  starve  hira, 


UNDER  THE  GROUND  179 

I  shall  not  perform  my  part  of  the  work  on  the  26th, 
This  is  final." 

For  a  full  minute,  it  seemed  to  King,  no  one  spoke. 

"You  cannot  withdraw,"  exclaimed  Peter  Brutus.  "You 
are  pledged.     You  are  sworn.     It  is  ordained." 

"Try  me,  and  see  if  I  will  not  do  as  I  say.  He  is  to 
be  beated  kindly  so  long  as  we  hold  him  here  and  he  is 
to  be  released  when  the  committee  is  in  power.  Then 
he  may  tell  all  that  he  knows,  for  it  will  be  of  no  avail. 
He  cannot  escape,  that  you  know.  If  he  were  a  spy  I 
would  offer  no  objection  to  your  methods.  He  is  an 
American  gentleman,  a  traveller.  I,  Olga  Platanova, 
say  this  to  you.  It  is  not  a  plea,  not  a  petition;  it  is 
an  ultimatum.  Spare  him,  or  the  glorious  cause  must 
suffer  by  my  defection." 

"Sh !  Not  so  loud,  girl !  He  can  hear  every  word  you 
say!" 

"WTiy  should  it  matter,  madam.''  He  is  where  he  can 
do  no  harm  to  our  cause.  Let  him  hear.  Let  him  under- 
stand what  it  is  that  we  are  doing.  Are  we  ashamed  of 
our  duty  to  the  world?  If  so,  then  we  are  criminals,  not 
deliverers.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  what  God  wills  me  to 
do.  It  is  horrible,  but  it  is  the  edict  of  God.  I  will 
obey.  But  God  does  not  command  us  to  torture  an  in- 
nocent man  who  happens  to  fall  into  our  hands.  No! 
Let  him  hear.  Let  him  know  that  I,  Olga  Platanova, 
am  to  hurl  the  thing  that  is  to  destroy  the  life  of  Prince 
Robin.  I  am  not  afraid  to  have  him  know  to-day  what 
the  world  will  know  next  week.  Let  him  hear  and  revile 
me  now,  as  the  world  will  do  after  it  is  over  and  I  am 
gone.  The  glory  will  be  mine  when  all  the  people  of  this 
great  globe  are  joined  to  our  glonous  realm.  Then  the 
world  will  say  that  Olga  Platanova  was  not  a  beast,  but 
a  deliver<^r,  a  creator !    Let  him  hear !" 


180  TRUXTON  KING 

The  listener's  blood  was  running  cold.  The  life  of 
Prince  Robin  !  An  assassination  1  "The  thing  that  will 
destroy  !"    A  bomb  !    God  1 

For  half  an  hour  they  argued  with  her,  seeking  to  turn 
her  from  the  stand  she  had  taken ;  protesting  to  the  last 
stage,  cursing  her  for  a  sentimental  fool.  Then  they 
came  to  terms  with  her.  Truxton  King  owed  his  li^e  to 
this  strange  girl  who  knew  him  not  at  all,  but  wh  )  be- 
lieved in  him.  He  suffered  intensely  in  the  discovery 
that  she  was,  in  the  end,  to  lend  herself  to  the  commis- 
sion of  the  most  heartless  and  diabolical  of  crimes — the 
destruction  of  that  innocent,  well-worshipped  boy  of 
Graustark. 

"You  must  be  in  love  with  this  simple-minded  American, 

who   comes "  Peter  Brutus   started  to   say  at   one 

stage  of  the  discussion,  when  the  frail  girl  was  battling 
almost  physically  with  her  tormentors. 

"Stop!  Peter  Bmtus,  you  shall  not  say  that!  You 
know  where  my  love  lies !  Don't  say  that  to  me  again, 
you  beast !"  she  had  cried,  and  Brutus  was  silenced. 

Truxton  was  brought  into  the  room  a  few  minutes  later. 
He  was  white  with  emotion  as  he  faced  the  Committee  of 
Ten.  Before  a  v>-ord  could  be  addressed  to  him  he 
blurted  out: 

"You  damned  cowards  !  Weak  as  I  am,  I  would  have 
fought  for  you.  Miss  Platanova,  if  I  could  have  got 
through  that  door.  Thank  you  for  what  you  have  done 
to  convince  these  dogs!  I  would  to  God  I  could  save 
you  from  this  thing  you  are  pledged  to  do.  It  is  fright- 
ful !  I  cannot  think  it  of  you !  Give  it  up !  All  of 
you,  give  this  thing  up !  I  will  promise  secrecy — I  will 
never  betray  what  I  have  heard.  Onl}^  don't  do  this  aw- 
ful thing  I     Think  of  that  dear  little  boy " 

Olga  Platanova  cried  out  and  covered  her  ej'es  witti 


UNDER  THE  GROUND  181 

her  hands,  murmuring  the  words  "dear  little  boy"  ovei 
and  over  again.  She  was  led  from  the  room  by  William 
Spantz.  Peter  Brutus  stood  over  King,  whose  anus 
were  held  by  two  stalwart  men. 

"Enough!"  he  commanded.  "We  spare  you,  not  for 
her  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  we  serve.  Hear 
me :  you  are  to  be  held  here  a  prisoner  until  our  plans  are 
consummated.  You  will  be  properly  fed  and  cared  for. 
You  have  heard  Miss  Platanova  say  that  she  will  cook 
the  food  for  you  herself,  but  you  are  not  to  see  her.  Do 
not  seek  to  turn  her  from  her  purpose.  That  you  can- 
not do.  She  is  pledged  to  it ;  it  is  irrevocable.  We  have 
perhaps  made  a  mistake  in  bringing  you  here:  it  would 
have  been  far  wiser  to  kill  you  in  the  beginning, 
but " 

King  interrupted  him.  "I  haven't  the  least  doubt  that 
you  will  kill  me  in  the  end.  She  may  not  be  here  to 
protect  me  after — after  the  assassination." 

"She  is  prepared  to  die  by  the  same  bomb  that  slays 
the  Prince,"  was  all  that  Brutus  would  say  in  response 
to  this,  but  King  observ-ed  the  sl}^  look  that  went  round 
amongst  them.  He  knew  then  that  they  meant  to  kill 
him  in  the  end. 

Afterward,  in  his  little  room,  he  writhed  in  the  agony 
of  helplessness.  The  Prince,  his  court,  the  government 
— all  were  to  be  blasted  to  satisfy  the  end  of  this  sicken- 
ing conspiracy.  Loraine !  She,  too,  was  doomed !  He 
groaned  aloud  in  his  miser}-  and  awe. 

Food  and  water  came  after  that,  but  he  ate  and  drank 
httle,  so  depressed  had  he  become.  He  sought  for  every 
means  of  escape  that  suggested  itself  to  him.  The  walls, 
the  floors,  the  doors,  the  stairway  to  the  armourer's 
shop — all  were  impassable,  so  carefully  was  he  guarded. 
From  time  to  time  he  heard  inklings  of  the  plot  which 


182  TRUXTON  KING 

was  to  culminate  on  the  fatal  26th;  he  did  not  get  the 
details  in  particular,  but  he  knew  that  the  bomb  was  to 
be  hurled  at  the  Prince  near  the  entrance  to  the  plaza 
and  that  Marlanx's  men  were  to  sweep  over  the  stricken 
city  almost  before  the  echo  died  away. 

There  was  a  telegraph  instrument  in  the  outer  room. 
He  could  hear  it  ticking  off  its  messages  day  and  night, 
and  could  hear  the  discussion  of  reports  as  they  came 
in  or  went  out.  It  soon  became  clear  to  him  that  the 
wire  connected  the  room  -with  Marlanx's  headquarters 
near  Balak  in  Axphain,  a  branch  instrument  being  sta- 
tioned in  the  cave  above  the  Witch's  hut.  He  marvelled 
at  the  completeness  of  the  great  conspiracy;  and 
marvelled  more  because  it  seemed  to  be  absolutely  un- 
known to  the  omnipresent  Dangloss. 

On  his  third  night  he  heard  the  Committee  discussing 
the  failure  of  one  of  Marlanx's  most  cunning  schemes. 
The  news  had  come  in  over  the  wire  and  it  created  no 
small  amount  of  chagrin  among  the  Red  conspirators. 
That  one  detail  in  their  mighty  plot  should  go  contrary 
to  expectations  seemed  to  disturb  them  immeasurably. 
King  was  just  beginning  to  realise  the  stupendous  pos- 
sibilities of  the  plot ;  he  listened  for  every  detail  with  a 
mind  so  fascinated  by  horror  that  it  seemed  hardh'  able 
to  grasp  the  seriousness  of  his  own  position. 

It  seemed  that  iNIarlanx  deemed  it  necessary — even  im- 
perative— to  the  welfare  of  the  movement,  that  John 
Tullis  should  be  disposed  of  summarily  before  the  cru- 
cial chapter  in  their  operations.  Truxton  heard  the 
Committee  discussing  the  fiasco  that  attended  his  first  at- 
tempt to  draw  the  brainy,  influential  American  out  of 
the  arena.  It  was  clear  that  Marlanx  suspected  Tullis 
of  a  deep  admiration  for  his  wife,  the  Countess  Ingo- 
mede;  he  was  prepared  to  play  upon  that  admiration 


UNDER  THE  GROUND  18:5 

for  the  success  of  his  efforts.  The  Countess  disappeared 
on  a  recent  night,  leaving  the  court  in  extreme  doubt  as 
to  her  fate.  Later  a  decoy  telegram  was  sent  by  a 
Marlanx  agent,  informing  Tullis  that  she  had  gone  to 
Schloss  Marlanx,  never  to  return,  but  so  shrewdly 
worded  that  he  would  believe  that  it  had  been  sent  by 
coercion,  and  that  she  was  actually  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  her  own  husband.  Tullis  was  expected  to  fol- 
low her  to  the  Castle,  bent  on  rescue.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  Countess  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hills  near  Balak, 
spirited  away  from  her  own  garden  by  audacious  agents 
of  the  Iron  Count.  Tullis  was  swift  to  fall  into  the 
trap,  but,  to  the  confusion  of  the  arch-plotter,  h^  was 
just  as  swift  to  avoid  the  consequences. 

He  left  Edelweiss  with  two  secret  service  men,  bound 
for  Schloss  Marlanx.  All  unknown  to  him,  a  selected 
company  of  cutthroats  were  in  waiting  for  him  on  the 
hills  near  the  castle.  To  the  amazem.ent  of  the  conspira- 
tors, he  suddenly  retraced  his  tracks  and  came  back  to 
Edelweiss  inside  of  twenty-four  hours,  a  telegram  stop- 
ping him  at  Gushna,  a  hundred  miles  down  the  line.  The 
message  was  from  Dangloss  and  it  was  in  cipher.  A 
trainman  in  the  sei*^-ice  of  ]\Iarlanx  could  only  say,  in 
explanation,  that  the  American  had  smiled  as  he  de- 
ciphered the  dispatch  and  at  once  left  the  carriage  with 
his  men  to  await  the  up-train  at  six  o'clock. 

Peter  Brutus  repeated  a  message  he  had  just  received 
from  Marlanx  at  Balak.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  he  had 
reason  to  beheve  that  his  wife  had  managed,  through 
an  unknown  traitor,  to  send  word  to  the  Tower  that  she 
was  not  at  Schloss  Marlanx,  nor  in  any  immediate 
danger.  He  felt  himself  supported  in  this  belief  by  the 
obvious  fact  that  no  further  efforts  had  been  made  by 
Tullis  or  the  police  since  that  day.    The  authoritieis  ap- 


184  TRUXTON  KING 

parentlj  were  inactive  and  Tullis  was  serenely  secure 
at  the  Royal  Castle.  The  guard  about  the  Prince,  how- 
ever, had  been  largely  increased. 

Tullis  was  known  to  be  re-organising  the  Royal  Guard, 
supported  by  the  ministry  to  a  man,  it  was  said;  not 
even  the  Duke  of  Perse  opposed  him.  . 

"The  Count  is  more  afraid  of  this  man  Tullis  than  of 
all  the  rest,"  averred  Peter  Brutus.  "He  has  reasons 
to  hate  and  fear  the  Americans.  That  is  why  he  desires 
the  death  of  our  prisoner.  He  has  said,  time  and  again, 
over  the  wire  that  King  will  in  some  wa}^  escape  and  play 
the  deuce  with  our  plans.  It  does  not  seem  possible, 
however.  We  have  him  absolutely  secure,  and  Olga — 
well,  3^ou  know  how  she  feels  about  it." 

"I  don't  see  why  he  should  be  so  disturbed  by  Tullis," 
growled  one  of  the  men.  "He  has  no  real  authority  at 
court  and  he  is  but  one  man  against  an  unseen  army  that 
will  not  strike  until  everything  is  ready.  There  can  be 
no " 

"That  is  what  I  have  said  to  my  master,  Julius,  but 
he  will  not  be  convinced.  He  says  that  he  has  had  ex- 
perience with  one  American,  Lorry,  and  he  knows  the 
breed.  Tullis  has  more  power  at  court  than  the  people 
think.  He  is  shrewd  and  strong  and  not  to  be  caught 
napping.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Count  says,  Tullis 
has  already  scented  danger  in  the  air  and  has  induced 
the  ministry  to  prepare  for  an  uprising.  Of  course,  hei 
cannot  know  of  the  dynamiting  that  is  to  open  the  way 
to  success,  but  it  is  true  that  if  anybcay  can  upset  our 
plans,  it  is  this  meddling  American.  He  is  a  self-ap- 
pointed guardian  of  the  Prince  and  he  is  not  to  be 
sneered  at.     The  regents  are  puppets,  nothing  more." 

Julius  Spantz  agreed  with  Brutus.  "I  know  that  the 
guard  is  being  strengthened  and  that  certain  precau- 


UNDER  THE  GROUND  185 

tions  are  being  taken  to  prevent  the  abduction  of  th^ 
Prince.  It  is  common  rumour  among  the  soldiers  that 
Count  Marlanx  will  some  day  seek  to  overthrow  the 
government  and  take  the  throne.  The  air  is  full  of 
talk  concerning  this  far-distant  possibility.  Thank  God, 
it  is  to  be  sooner  than  they  think.  If  Tullis  and  General 
Braze  were  given  a  month  or  two  longer,  I  doubt  if  we 
could  succeed.     The  blow  must  catch  them  unprepared." 

"This  is  the  22d,  Saturday  is  the  26th."  They  can 
do  nothing  in  four  days,"  said  one  of  the  women. 

"Count  Marlanx  will  be  ready  on  the  26th.  He  has 
said  so.  A  new  strike  will  be  declared  on  the  railroad 
on  the  25th  and  the  strikers  will  be  in  the  city  with  their 
grievances.  Saturday's  celebration  will  bring  men  from 
the  mountains  and  the  mines  to  town.  A  single  blow, 
and  we  have  won."     So  spoke  Brutus 

"Then  why  all  this  fear  of  Tullis.?"  demanded  Anna 
Crom.er. 

"It  is  not  like  the  Iron  Count,"  added  Madame  Drov- 
nask  with  a  sneer. 

Olga  Platanova  had  not  spoken.  She  was  not  there  to 
talk.  She  was  only  to  act  on  the  26th  of  July.  She 
was  the  means  to  an  end. 

"Well,  fear  or  no  fear,  the  Count  lies  awake  trying 
to  think  of  a  way  to  entice  him  from  the  city  before  the 
26th.  It  may  be  silly,  madam,  but  Count  Marlanx  is 
a  wiser  man  than  any  of  us  here.  He  is  not  afraid  of 
Dangloss  or  Braze  or  Quinnox,  but  he  is  afraid  of  what 
he  calls  'American  luck!'  He  is  even  superstitious 
about  it." 

"We  must  not — we  cannot  fail,"  grated  William 
Spantz,  and  the  cry  was  reiterated  by  half  a  dozen 
voices. 

"The    world    demands    success    of    us!"    cried    Anna 


186  TRUXTON  KING 

Cromer.     "We  die  for  success,  we  die  for  failure!    It  is 
aU  one !" 

The  next  morning,  after  a  sleepless  night,  Truxton 
King  made  his  first  detennined  attempt  to  escape.  All 
night  long  he  had  lain  there  thinking  of  the  horrid 
thing  that  was  to  happen  on  the  black  26th.  He  counted 
the  days,  the  hours,  the  minutes.  Morning  brought  the 
S3d.  Only  three  days  more!  Oh,  if  he  could  but  get 
one  word  to  John  TuUis,  the  man  Marlanx  feared;  if 
he  could  only  break  awa}'  from  these  fiends  long  enough 
to  utter  one  cry  of  warning  to  the  world,  even  with  his 
dying  gasp ! 

Marlanx  feared  the  Americans !  He  even  feared  him, 
a  helpless  captive !  The  thrill  of  exultation  that  ran 
through  his  veins  was  but  the  genesis  of  an  impulse  that 
mastered  him  later  on. 

He  knew  that  two  armed  men  stood  guard  in  the  outer 
room  day  and  night.  The  door  to  the  stairway  leading 
into  the  armourer's  shop  was  of  iron  and  heavily  barred ; 
the  door  opening  into  the  sewer  was  even  more  securely 
bolted ;  besides,  there  was  a  great  stone  door  at  the  foot 
of  the  passage.  The  keys  to  these  two  doors  were  never 
out  of  the  possession  of  William  Spantz ;  one  of  his 
guards  held  the  key  to  the  stairway  door.  His  only 
chance  lay  in  his  ability  to  suddenly  overpower  two  men 
and  make  off  by  way  of  the  armourer's  shop. 
I  When  his  little  door  was  opened  on  the  morning  of  the 
23d,  Truxton  King's  long,  powerful  figure  shot 
through  as  if  sped  by  a  catapult.  The  man  with  the 
candle  and  the  knife  went  down  like  a  beef,  floored  by  a 
blow  on  the  jaw. 

The  American,  his  eyes  blazing  with  hope  and 
desperation,  kept  onward — to  find  himself  face  to  face 
with  Olga  Platanova ! 


UNDER  THE  GROUND  187 

She  was  staring  at  him  with  frightened  eyes,  her  lips 
apart,  her  hands  to  her  breast.  The  tableau  was  brief. 
He  could  not  strike  her  down.  With  a  curse  he  was 
turning  to  the  man  on  the  floor,  eager  to  snatch  the 
keys  from  his  belt.  A  scream  from  her  drawn  lips  held 
him;  he  whirled  and  looked  into  the  now  haggard  face 
of  the  girl  he  had  considered  beautiful.  The  penalty 
for  her  crime  was  already  written  there.  She  was  to  die 
in  three  days ! 

"He  has  not  the  key !"  she  cried.  "Nor  have  I.  You 
have  no  chance  to  escape.  Go  back !  Go  back !  They 
are  coming !" 

A  key  rattled  in  the  door.  When  it  swung  open,  two 
men  stood  in  the  aperture,  both  with  drawn  pistols.  The 
girl  leaped  between  them  and  the  helpless,  defeated 
American. 

"Remember!"  she  cried.     "You  are  not  to  kill  himl" 

Peter  Brutus  had  risen  from  the  floor,  half  dazed  but 
furious.  He  made  a  vicious  leap  at  King,  his  knife  ready 
for  the  lunge. 

"I'm  glad  it's  3^ou,"  roared  King,  leaping  aside.  His 
fist  shot  out  and  again  Brutus  went  down.  The  men  in 
the  doorway  actually  laughed. 

"A  good  blow,  even  if  it  avails  you  nothing,"  said  one 
of  them  drily.  "He  is  not  an  especial  favorite  with  us. 
Return  to  your  room  at  once.  Miss  Platanova,  call  your 
uncle.  It  is  now  necessary  to  bind  the  fellow's  hands. 
They  are  too  dangerous  to  be  allowed  to  roam  at  large 
in  this  fashion." 

All  day  long  Truxton  paced  his  little  prison,  bitterly 
lamenting  his  ill-timed  effort.  Now  he  would  be  even 
more  carefully  guarded.  His  hands  were  bound  behind 
his  back;  he  was  powerless.  If  he  had  only  waited! 
Luck  had  been  against  him.    How  was  he  to  know  that 


188  TRUXTON  KING 

the  guard  with  the  ke3^s  had  gone  upstairs  when  Olga 
brought  his  breakfast  down?     It  was  fate. 

The  23d  dragged  itself  into  the  past  and  the  24?th 
was  following  in  the  gloom}'  wake  of  its  predecessors. 
Two  days  more!  He  began  to  feel  the  approach  of 
madness  !  His  own  death  was  not  far  away.  It  would 
follow  that  of  the  Prince  and  of  Olga  Platanova,  his 
friend.  But  he  was  not  thinking  of  his  own  death ;  he 
was  thinking  of  the  Prince's  life ! 

The  atmosphere  of  suppressed  excitement  that  charac- 
terised the  hushed  gatherings  in  the  outer  room  did  not 
fail  to  leave  its  impression  upon  him ;  he  knew  there  was 
murder  in  the  hearts  of  these  fanatics ;  he  could  feel  the 
strain  that  held  their  hitherto  vehem.ent  lips  to  tense 
whisperings  and  mutterings.  He  could  distinguish  the 
difference  between  the  footsteps  of  to-day  and  those  of 
yesterday ;  the  tread  was  growing  lighter,  unconsciously 
more  stealthy  with  each  passing  hour. 

Forty-eight  hours  !     That  was  all ! 

Truxton  found  himself  cr^'ing  bitterly  from  tim.e  to 
time ;  not  because  he  was  in  terror  but  because  he  knew 
of  the  thing  that  hourly  drew  nearer  despite  the  fact 
that  he  knew! 

Olga  Platanova's  voice  was  heard  no  more  before  the 
Committee  of  Ten.  Something  told  him  that  she  was 
being  groomed  and  primed  in  an  upstairs  room!  Primed 
like  a  gun  of  war !  He  wondered  if  she  could  be  praying 
for  courage  to  do  the  thing  that  had  been  set  down  for 
her  to  do.  Food  now  came  irregularly  to  him.  She  was 
no  longer  preparing  it. 

She  was  making  herself  ready  ! 

Early  that  night,  as  he  lay  with  his  ear  to  the  crack  of 
the  door,  he  heard  them  discussing  his  own  death.  It 
was  to  come  as  soon  as  Olga  had  gone  to  her  reward! 


UNDER  THE  GROUND  189 

She  was  rot  there  to  defend  him.  Spantz  had  said  that 
she  was  pi'a3^ing  in  her  room,  committing  her  soul  to 
God!  Truxton  King  suddenly  pricked  up  his  ears,  at- 
tracted b}^  a  sentence  that  £e\]  from  the  hps  of  one  of  the 
men. 

"Tulb's  is  on  his  way  to  the  hills  of  Dawsbergen  by 
this  time.  He  will  be  out  of  the  way  on  the  26th  safe 
enough." 

"Count  ]Marlanx  was  not  to  be  satisfied  until  he  had 
found  the  means  to  draw  him  away  from  Edelweiss," 
said  another.  "This  time  it  will  work  like  a  charm.  Late 
this  afternoon  Tullis  was  making  ready  to  lead  a  troop 
of  cavalry-  into  the  hills  to  effect  a  rescue.  Sancta 
Maria!  That  was  a  clever  stroke!  Not  only  does  he 
go  himself,  but  with  him  goes  a  captain  with  one  hun- 
dred soldiers  from  the  fort.  Ha,  ha !  Marlanx  is  a 
fox  !     A  very  exceptional  fox  !" 

Tulhs  ofF^o  the  hills.?  With  soldiers,  to  effect  a 
rescue !     Truxton  sat  up,  his  brain  whirling. 

"A  wise  fox!"  agreed  Peter  Brutus,  thickly.  His  lips 
were  terribly  swollen  from  King's  final  blow.  "Tullis 
goes  off  chasing  a  jack-o'-lantern  in  the  hills;  Marlanx 
sits  by  and  laughs  at  the  joke  he's  played.  It  is  good! 
Almost  too  good  to  be  true.  I  wonder  what  our  fine 
prisoner  will  say  to  it  when  the  new  prisoner  comes  tc 
keep  him  company  over  the  26th." 


CHAPTER  XII 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRIVES 


It  was  far  past  midnight  when  King  was  roused  from 
the  doze  into  which  he  had  fallen,  exhausted  and  dis- 
consolate, an  hour  earlier.  Sounds  of  unusual  commo- 
tion reached  him  from  the  outer  room.  Instantly  he  was 
wide  awake,  breathing  heavily  in  the  sudden  overpower- 
ing fear  that  he  had  slept  for  many  hours  and  that  the 
time  had  come  for  the  conspirators  to  go  forth.  Was 
it  the  26th? 

Loud,  quick  commands  came  to  his  ears ;  the  moving 
of  eager  footsteps ;  the  drawing  of  bolts. 

"They  are  here  at  last,"  he  heard  some  one  say.  "God, 
this  suspense  has  been  horrible.     But  they  are  here." 

"Stand  readj^,  then,  with  the  guns !"  cried  Peter 
Brutus.  "It  may  be  a  trick,  after  all.  Don't  open  that 
door  down  there,  Spantz,  until  you  know  who  is  on  the 
outside." 

Then  followed  a  long  interval  of  dead  silence. 

"It's  all  right,"  came  at  last  in  the  relieved,  eager 
voice  of  Peter  Brutus.  "Clear  the  w^ay,  comrades.  Give 
them  room !  By  our  Holy  Father,  this  is  a  brave  tri- 
umph.    Ah!" 

Heavy  footsteps  clogged  into  the  room,  accompanied 
by  stertorous  breathing  and  no  small  amount  of  grunt- 
ing from  masculine  throats.  Doors  were  closed,  bolts 
shot,  and  then  many  voices  let  loose  their  flow  of  eager 
exclamations.  Not  one,  but  three  or  four  languages 
were  spoken  by  the  excited,  intense  occupants  of  the 
outer  room;  King  could  make  nothing  of  what  they 
said.      Finally    the    sharp,    incisive    voice    of    William 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRIVES  191 

Spantz  broke  through  the  babble,  commanding  silence. 

"Still  unconscious."  he  said,  when  some  measure  of 
order  was  secured. 

"Yes,*'  grunted  one  of  the  men,  evidently  a  newcomer. 
•Since  we  left  the  house  above  the  ramparts.  No  need 
for  gags  or  bonds,  but  we  used  them,  just  the  same. 
Now  that  we  are  here,  what  is  to  be  done."" 

"We  will  have  our  instructions  to-morrow.  The  Count 
is  to  inform  us  before  nightfall  where  she  is  to  be  re- 
moved to.  Next  week  she  is  to  go  to  Schloss  Marlanx." 
Brutus  inserted  a  cruel,  heartless  laugh,  and  then  added: 
"There  she  is  to  remain  until  he  is  quite  ready  to  take  her 
to  new  apartments — in  town.  Trust  the  master  to  dis- 
pose  of  her  properly.  He  knows  hovr  to  handle  women 
by  this  time." 

A  woman,  thought  Truxton.  The  Countess!  They 
had  brought  her  here  from  Balak,  after  all.  \Miat  a 
remorseless  brute  Marlanx  must  be  to  maltreat  his  beau- 
tiful wife  as — Truxton  did  not  complete  the  angry  re- 
flection. Words  from  the  other  side  of  the  door  checked 
the  train  of  thought. 

"To  my  mind,  she  is  more  beautiful  than  his  own  wife," 
observed  Anna  Cromer.  "She  will  be  a  fine  inorsel  for 
the  Count,  who  has  even  cast  longing  eyes  on  so  homely 
a  mortal  as  I." 

"All  women  are  alike  to  him,"  said  Spantz  senten- 
tiously.  "I  hope  she  is  not  to  be  left  here  for  long.  I 
don't  like  women  about  at  a  time  like  this.  No  offence^ 
Madame  Dro\Tiask." 

"She'll  go  to-morrow  night,  I'm  sure,"  said  Peter.  "I 
told  the  Count  we  could  not  keep  her  here  over  the — 
over  the  26th.  You  see,  there  is  a  bare  possibility  that 
none  of  us  may  ever  come  back  after  the  bomb  is  hurled. 
See?    We  don't  want  a  woman  to  die  of  starvation  down 


192  TRUXTON  KING 

here,  in  that  event.  I  don't  care  what  happens  to  the 
man  in  there.  But  the  Count  does  not  want  this  one  to 
starve.     Oh,  no  ;  not  he." 

"We  must  put  her  in  the  room  with  the  American  for 
the  present.  You  are  sure  he  will  take  her  away  before 
Saturday .f^  A  woman's  cries  are  most  distressing."  It 
was  Spantz  who  spoke. 

"I'll  stop  her  crying,"  volunteered  Anna  Cromer 
harshly. 

"I  fancy  you  could,  my  dear,"  agreed  Spantz.  They 
all  laughed. 

"She's  regaining  her  senses,"  exclaimed  one  of  the 
men.     "Stand  back,  every  one.     Give  her  air." 

"Air.^"  cried  Anna  Cromer.  "It's  at  a  premium  down 
here,  Raoul." 

Presently  the  door  to  King's  room  was  thrown  open. 
He  had  got  to  his  feet  and  was  standing  in  the  centre  of 
the  room,  his  eyes  blinking  in  the  glare  of  light. 

"Holloh!"  cried  Peter  Brutus,  "you  up,  eh?  We've 
got  a  fair  lady  for  you,  m}^  friend.  Get  back  there, 
you  dog!    Keep  in  your  corner." 

Truxton  faced  the  ugly  crowd  bej'ond  the  door  for  a 
moment  and  then  fell  back  to  the  comer  to  watch  the 
proceedings  with  wondering,  pitying  eyes. 

"You  are  a  fine  bunch  of  human  beings,"  he  blurted 
out,  savage  with  despair  and  rage.  No  one  gave  heed 
to  the  compliment. 

A  man  with  a  lighted  candle  entered  first,  holding  the 
light  above  his  head.  He  was  followed  by  two  others, 
who  supported  the  drooping,  tottering  figure  of  a 
woman. 

"Let  her  sit  there  against  the  wall,  Drago.  Julius, 
fetch  in  more  candles.  She  must  not  be  left  in  the  dark. 
He  says  she  is  not  to  be  frightened  to  death.     Women 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRR^S  193 

are  afraid  of  the  dark — and  strange  dogs.  Let  there 
be  light,"  scoffed  Peter  Brutus,  spitting  toward  King. 

"I'll  get  you  for  that  some  day,*'  grated  the  American, 
white  with  anger.  Peter  hesitated,  then  spat  again  and 
laughed  loudly. 

"Enough !"  commanded  William  Spantz.  "We  are 
not  children.'*'  Turning  to  King  he  went  on,  a  touch  of 
kindness  in  his  yoice:  "Cheer  her  if  you  can.  She  is 
one  of  your  class.     Do  not  let  the  lights  go  out." 

Raising  his  hands,  he  fairly  droye  the  others  from  the 
doorway.  An  instant  later,  King  and  his  miserable, 
half-conscious  companion  were  alone,  locked  in  together, 
the  fitful  light  from  the  candle  on  the  floor  playing  hide 
and  seek  in  shadows  he  had  not  seen  before  during  his 
age  of  imprisonment. 

For  a  long  time  he  stood  in  his  corner,  watching  the 
figure  huddled  against  the  opposite  wall.  Her  face  was 
not  plainly  yisible,  her  head  haying  dropped  forward 
until  the  chin  nestled  in  the  lace  jabot  at  her  throat.  A 
mass  of  tangled  hair  fell  across  her  eyes ;  her  arms  hung 
limply  at  her  sides ;  small,  modish  riding  boots  showed 
beneath  the  hem  of  her  skirt,  forlorn  in  their  irresolute- 
ness.  Her  garments  were  sadly  bedraggled ;  a  pathetic 
breast  rose  and  fell  in  choking  sobs  and  gasps. 

Suddenly  he  started  forward,  his  eyes  wide  and  staring. 
He  had  seen  that  grey  riding  habit  before !  He  had  seen 
the  hair ! 

Two  eager  steps  he  took  and  then  halted,  half  way.  She 
had  heard  him  and  was  raising  her  eyes,  bewildered  and 
"wayering  between  dreamland  and  reality. 

"Great  Jehovah!"  he  gasped,  unbelieying.  "You?  My 
God,  is  it  you  ?" 

He  dropped  to  his  knees  before  her,  peering  into  her 
startled  eyes.     A  look  of  abject  terror  crossed  the  tired, 


194^  TRUXTON  KING 

tear-stained  face.  She  shrank  away  from  him,  shivering^ 
whimpering  like  a  cowed  child. 

"What  is  it?  Where  am  I.?"  she  moaned.  "Oh,  let  me 
go!  What  have  I  done,  that  you  should  bring  me  here? 
Let  me  go,  Mr.  King!   You  are  not  so  wicked  as " 

"I.P  I  bring  you  here?"  he  interrupted,  aghast.  Then 
he  understood.  Utter  dismay  filled  his  eyes.  "You 
think  that  I  have  done  this  thing  to  you?  God  above 
us  !  Look !  I,  too,  am  a  prisoner  here.  I've  been  here 
for  da3^s,  weeks,  3^ears.  They  are  going  to  kill  me  after 
to-morrow.  And  j'ou  think  that  I  have  done  this  to 
you!" 

"I  don't  know  what —  Oh,  Mr.  King,  what  does  it  all 
mean?  Forgive  me!  I  see  now.  You  are  bound — you 
are  suffering — you  are  years  older.  I  see  now.  But 
why  is  it?    ^"Miat  have  you  done?    What  have  I  done?" 

She  was  growing  hysterical  with  terror. 

"Don't  shrink  from  me,"  he  urged.  "Try  to  calm  your- 
self. Try  to  lock  upon  me  as  a  friend — as  a  possible 
saviour.  Lie  quiet,  do,  for  a  little  while.  Think  it  all 
out  for  yourself." 

He  knelt  there  before  her  while  she  sobbed  out  the  last 
agony  of  alarm.  There  were  no  tears  in  her  eyes ;  rack- 
ing sobs  shook  her  slender  body  ;  every  nerve  was  aquiver, 
he  could  see.  Patiently  he  waited,  never  taking  his  firm, 
encouraging  gaze  from  her  face.  She  gi-ew  calmer, 
more  rational.  Then,  with  the  utmost  gentleness,  he 
persuaded  her  to  rise  and  walk  about  the  little  room  with 
him. 

"It  will  give  you  strength  and  courage,"  he  urged* 
"Poor  little  girl !     Poor  little  girl !" 

She  looked  up  into  his  face,  a  new  light  coming  into 
her  eyes. 

"Don't  talk  now,"  he  said  softly.     "Take  your  time. 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRB^ES  195 

Hold  to  my  arm,  please.  There  !  In  a  little  while  you'll 
be  able  to  tell  me  all  about  it — and  then  we'll  set  about 
to  find  a  way  to  escape  these  devils.  We'll  laugh  at 
'em,  after  alL" 

For  five  or  ten  minutes  he  led  her  back  and  forth  across 
the  room,  very  tenderly.  At  first  she  was  faint  and  un- 
certain ;  then,  as  her  strength  and  wits  came  back  to  her, 
courage  took  the  place  of  despair.  She  smiled  wanly  and 
asked  him  to  sit  r'own  with  her. 

"A  way  to  escape,  you  said,"  she  murmured,  as  he 
dropped  to  her  side.  "Where  are  we?  Wh&t  is  it  all 
about?" 

"Not  so  loud,"  he  cautioned.  "I'll  be  perfectly  candid 
with  you.  You'll  have  to  be  very,  very  brave.  But  wait. 
Perhaps  it  will  be  easier  for  you  to  tell  me  what  has 
happened  to  you,  so  far  as  you  know.  I  can  throw  light 
on  the  whole  situation,  I  think.  Tell  me,  please,  in  your 
own  way  and  time.  We're  in  a  sorry  mess,  and  it  looks 
black,  but,  this  much  I  can  tell  you :  you  are  to  be  set 
free  in  a  few  days,  unharmed.  You  may  rest  easy. 
That  much  is  assured." 

"And  you?"  she  whispered,  clutching  his  arm  tightly, 
the  swift  thrill  of  relief  dying  almost  as  it  was  bora. 
"^^^lat  of  you?" 

"Oh,  I'll  get  out  all  right,"  he  affirmed  with  a  con- 
fidence he  did  not  feel.  "I'm  going  to  get  you  out  of 
this  or  die  in  the  attempt.  Sh!  Don't  oppose  me,"  he 
went  on  whimsically.  "I've  always  wanted  to  be  a  hero, 
and  here's  my  chance.  Now  tell  me  what  happened  to 
you." 

Her  piquant,  ever-sprightly  face  had  lost  the  arro- 
gance that  had  troubled  all  his  dreams  of  conquest.  She 
was  pale  and  shivering  and  so  sorely  distressed  that  he 
had  it  in  his  heart  to  clasp  her  in  liis  arms  as  one  might 


196  TRUXTON  KING 

do  in  trying  to  soothe  a  frightened  child.  Her  face 
grew  cloud}'  with  the  effort  to  concentrate  her  thoughts ; 
a  piteous  frown  settled  upon  her  brow. 

"I'm  not  sure  that  I  can  recall  everything.  It  is  all 
so  terrible — so  unaccountable.  It's  like  a  dream  that 
you  try  to  remember  and  cannot.  Finding  you  here 
in  this  place  is  really  the  strangest  part  of  it.  I  cannot 
believe  that  I  am  awake." 

She  looked  long  and  anxiously  into  his  face,  her  eye- 
brows drawn  together  in  an  earnest  squint  of  uncer- 
tainty. "Oh,  ;Mr.  King,  I  have  had  such  a  dreadful — 
dreadful  time.     Am  I  awake.''" 

"That's  what  I've  been  asking  of  myself,"  he  mur- 
mured. "I  guess  we're  both  awake  all  right.  Night' 
mares  don't  last  forever." 

Her  story  came  haltingly;  he  was  obliged  to  supply 
many  of  the  details  by  conjecture,  she  was  so  hazy  and 
vague  in  her  memory. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  narrative,  however,  Truxton 
was  raised  to  unusual  heights;  he  felt  such  a  thrill  of 
exaltation  that  for  the  moment  he  forgot  his  and  her 
immediate  peril.  In  a  perfectly  matter-of-fact  manner 
she  was  informing  him  that  her  search  for  him  had  not 
been  abandoned  until  Baron  Dangloss  received  a  tele- 
gram from  Paris,  stating  that  King  was  in  a  hospital 
there,  recovering  from  a  wound  in  the  head. 

"You  can  imagine  what  I  thought  when  I  saw  you  here 
a  little  while  ago,"  she  said,  again  looking  hard  at  his 
face  as  if  to  make  sure.  "We  had  looked  everywhere 
for  you.  You  see,  I  was  ashamed.  That  man  from 
Cook's  told  us  that  you  were  hurt  b}' — by  the  way  I 
treated  you  the  day  before  3^ou  disappeared,  and — well, 
he  said  you  talked  very  foolishly  about  it." 

He  drew  a  long  breath.     Somehow  he  was  happier  than 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRH^S  197 

he  had  been  before.  "Hobbs  is  a  dreadful  ass,"  he 
managed  to  say. 

It  seems  that  the  ministry  was  curiously  disturbed  by 
the  events  attending  the  disappearance  of  the  Countess 
Ingomede.  The  deception  practised  upon  John  Tullis, 
frustrated  only  by  the  receipt  of  a  genuine  message 
from  the  Countess,  was  enough  to  convince  the  authori- 
ties that  something  serious  was  afoot.  It  may  have 
meant  no  m.ore  than  the  assassination  of  Tullis  at  the 
hands  of  a  jealous  husband;  or  it  may  have  been  a  part 
of  the  vast  conspiracy  which  Dangloss  now  believed 
to  be  in  progress  of  development. 

"Development !"  Truxton  King  had  exclaimed  at  this 
point  in  her  narrative.  "Good  God,  if  Dangloss  only 
knew  what  I  know!" 

There  had  been  a  second  brief  message  from  the  Coun- 
tess. She  admitted  that  she  was  with  her  husband  at 
the  Axphain  capital.  This  message  came  to  Tullis  and 
was  to  the  effect  that  she  and  the  Count  were  leaving 
ahnost  immediately  for  a  stay  at  Biarritz  in  France. 
"Mr.  King,"  said  the  narrator,  "the  Countess  hed.  They 
did  not  go  to  Biarritz.  I  am  convinced  now  that  she  is 
in  the  plot  with  that  vile  old  man.  She  may  even  expect 
to  reign  in  Graustark  some  da^^  if  his  plans  are  carried 
out.  I  saw  Count  Marlanx  yesterday.  He  was  in  Grau- 
stark. I  knew  him  by  the  portrait  that  hangs  in  the 
Duke  of  Perse's  house — the  portrait  that  Ingomede  al- 
ways frowns  at  when  I  mention  it  to  her.  So,  they  did 
not  go  to  France." 

She  was  becoming  excited.  Her  eyes  flashed ;  she  spoke 
rapidly.  On  the  morning  of  the  23d  she  had  gone  for 
her  gallop  in  the  famous  Ganlook  road,  attended  by  two 
faithful  grooms  from  the  Royal  stables. 

"I  was  in  for  a  longer  ride  than  usual,"  she  said,  with 


198  TRUXTON  KING 

sudden  constraint.  She  looked  away  from  her  eager 
listener.  "I  was  nervous  and  had  not  slept  the  night 
before.     A  girl  never  does,  I  suppose." 

He  looked  askance.     "Yes.^"  he  queried. 

She  was  blushing,  he  was  sure  of  it.  "I  mean  a  girl  is 
always  nervous  and  distrait  after — after  she  has  prom' 
ised,  don't  you  see." 

"No,  I  don't  see." 

"I  had  promised  Count  Vos  Engo  the  night  before  tlnat 
I —  Oh,  but  it  really  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  story. 
I " 

Truxton  was  actuall}^  glaring  at  her.  "You  mean  that 
you  had  promised  to  marry  Count  Vos  Engo  i"  he  stam- 
mered. 

"We  will  not  discuss " 

"But  did  you  promise  to  be  his  wife.^  Is  he  the  man 
you  love.P"  he  insisted.  She  stared  at  him  in  surprise 
and  no  little  resentment. 

"I  beg  of  you,  Mr.  King "  she  began,  but  he  in- 
terrupted her. 

"Forgive  me.  I'm  a  fool.  Don't  mind  me."  He  sank 
back  against  the  wall,  the  picture  of  dejection.  "It 
doesn't  matter,  anyway.  I've  got  to  die  in  a  day  or 
two,  so  what's  the  odds?" 

"How  very  strangely  you  talk.  Are  you  sure — I  mean, 
do  you  think  it  is  fever.?     One  suffers  so " 

He  sighed  deeply.  "Well,  that's  over!  Whew  I  It 
was  a  dream,  by  Jove  I" 

"I  don't  understand." 

"Please  go  on." 

She  waited  a  moment  and  then,  looking  down,  said 
very  gentl}':  "I'm  so  sorry  for  you."  He  laughed,  for 
he  thought  she  pitied  him  because  he  had  awakened  from 
the  dream. 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRRTES  199 

Then  she  resumed  her  story,  not  to  be  interrupted 
again.     He  seemed  to  have  lost  all  interest. 

She  had  gone  six  or  eight  miles  down  the  Ganlook 
road  when  she  came  up  with  five  troopers  of  the  Royal 
Guard.  It  was  a  lonety  spot  at  the  junction  of  the  King's 
Highway  and  the  road  to  the  mines.  One  of  the  troopers 
came  forward  and  respectfully  requested  her  to  turn 
oif  into  the  mine  road  until  a  detachment  passed,  in 
charge  of  a  gang  of  desperadoes  taken  at  the  Inn  of 
the  Hawk  and  Raven  the  night  before.  Unsuspecting, 
she  rode  off  into  the  forest  lane  for  several  hundred 
yards. 

It  was  a  trap.  The  men  were  not  troopers,  but  brig- 
ands gotten  up  in  the  uniform  of  the  guard.  Once 
away  from  the  main  highway,  they  made  prisoners  of 
her  and  the  two  grooms.  Then  followed  a  long  ride/ 
through  roads  new  to  her.  At  noon  they  came  to  a  halt 
while  the  rascals  changed  their  clothing,  appearing  in 
their  true  garb,  that  of  the  mountaineer.  Half  dead 
with  dread,  she  heard  them  discussing  their  plans ;  they 
spoke  quite  freely  in  the  presence  of  the  well-beaten 
grooms,  who  were  led  to  expect  death  before  many 
hours.  It  was  the  design  of  the  bandits  to  make  their 
way  to  the  almost  impregnable  fastnesses  in  the  hills  of 
Dawsbergen,  the  wild  principality  to  the  south.  There 
they  could  hold  her  against  all  hope  of  rescue,  until  an 
immense  sum  of  money  was  paid  over  in  ransom  by  her 
dispairing  friends. 

When  night  came  they  were  high  in  the  mountains 
back  of  the  Monastery,  many  ho-urs  ahead  of  any  pur- 
suit. They  became  stupidly  careless,  and  the  two  grooms 
made  a  dash  for  freedom.  One  of  them  was  killed,  but 
the  other  escaped.  She  was  afterward  to  recall  that  no 
effort  was  made  to  recapture  him;  they  deliberately  al- 


200  TRUXTON  KING 

lowed  him  to  escape,  their  cunning  purpose  becoming 
only  too  apparent  later  on. 

Instead  of  hurrying  on  to  Dawsbergen,  they  dropped 
swiftly  down  into  the  valley  above  the  city.  No  secret 
was  made  of  the  ruse  they  had  emplo^^ed  to  mislead  the 
prospective  pursuers.  The  rescue  party,  they  swore 
joyously,  would  naturally  be  led  by  John  Tullis ;  he 
would  go  with  all  haste  to  the  Dawsbergen  hills. 
The  word  of  the  trusty  groom  would  be  taken  as 
positive  proof  that  the  captive  was  in  that  country. 
She  shuddered  as  she  listened  to  their  exultant  chuc- 
kles. It  had  been  a  most  cunningly  conceived  plan 
and  it  promised  to  result  profitably  for  them  in  the 
end. 

Some  time  during  the  slow,  torturing  ride  through  the 
forest  she  swooned.  When  she  came  to  her  senses  she 
was  in  a  dimly  lighted  room,  surrounded  by  men.  The 
gag  had  been  removed  from  her  mouth.  She  would 
have  shrieked  out  in  her  terror,  had  not  her  gaze  rested 
upon  the  figure  of  a  man  who  sat  opposite,  his  elbows  on 
the  back  of  the  chair  which  he  straddled,  his  chin  on  his 
arms.  He  was  staring  at  her  steadily,  his  black  eyes 
catching  her  gaze  and  holding  it  as  a  snake  holds  the 
bird  it  has  charmed. 

She  recognised  the  hard,  hawk-like  face.  There  could 
be  no  mistake.  She  was  looking  into  the  face  tliat  made 
the  portrait  of  the  Iron  Count  so  abhorrent  to  her:  the 
leathery  head  of  a  cadaver  with  eyes  that  lived.  A  por- 
trait of  Voltaire,  the  likeness  of  a  satyr,  a  suggestion  of 
Satan — all  rushed  up  from  memory's  storehouse  to  hold 
her  attention  rapt  in  contemplation  of  this  sinister 
figure. 

He  smiled.  It  was  like  the  crumpling  of  soft  leather. 
Then,  with  a  word  to  one  of  the  men,  he  abruptly  left 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRR'ES  ^01 

the  room.  After  that  she  broke  down  and  cried  herself 
into  the  sleep  of  exhaustion. 

AU  the  next  day  she  sat  limp  and  helpless  in  the  chair 
they  had  brought  to  her.  She  could  neither  eat  nor  drink. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  Marlanx  came  again.  She  knew 
not  from  whence  he  came :  he  stood  before  her  suddenly. 
as  if  produced  by  the  magic  of  some  fabled  genie,  smil- 
ing blandly,  his  hands  clasped  behind  his  back,  his  atti- 
tude one  of  lecherous  calculation. 

Truxton  King  ground  his  teeth  T^dth  rage  and  despair 
while  she  was  breathlesslj^  repeating  the  suave  compli- 
ments that  oozed  from  the  lips  of  the  tormentor. 

"He  laughed  when  I  demanded  that  he  should  restore 
me  to  my  friends.  He  chided  me  when  I  pleaded  and 
begged  for  mercy.  My  questions  were  never  answered. 
He  only  said  that  no  harm  was  to  come  to  me;  I  was 
merely  touching  purgatory  that  I  might  better  appre- 
ciate paradise  when  I  came  to  it.  Oh,  it  was  honnble! 
I  thought  I  would  go  mad.  Finally  I  c-alled  him  a  beast ; 
I  don't  know  what  else  I  said.  He  merely  smiled.  Pres- 
ently he  called  one  of  the  men  into  the  room.  He  said 
something  about  a  sewer  and  a  hole  in  the  ground.  Then 
the  man  went  out  and  I  heard  the  clicking  of  a  telegraph 
instrument.  I  heard  certain  instructions.  I  was  to  be 
taken  to  a  certain  place  in  the  city  at  nightfall  and  kept 
there  until  to-morrow  night,  when  I  am  again  to  be  re- 
moved by  way  of  the  river.  That  is  all  I  know.  ^Miere 
am  I,  Mr.  King?  Oh,  this  dreadful  place!  Why  are 
we  here — 3'ou  and  I.^^" 

King's  heart  throbbed  fiercely  one  more.  He  was  look- 
ing straight  into  the  piteous,  wondering  eyes ;  his  gaze 
fell  to  the  parted,  tremulous  lips.  A  vast  hunger  pos- 
sessed his  soul.  In  that  moment  he  could  have  laid  down 
his  Hfe  for  her,  with  a  smile  of  rejoicing. 


TRUXTON  KING 

Then  he  told  her  why  she  was  there,  why  he  was  there 
—and  of  the  26th.     The  dreadful  26th ! 

Her  eyes  grew  wide  with  horror  and  understanding; 
her  bosom  rose  and  fell  rapidly  with  the  sobs  of  sup- 
pressed terror.  At  last  he  had  finished  his  stupefying 
tale ;  they  sat  side  by  side  staring  into  each  other's  eyes, 
helpless,  stricken. 

"God  in  heaven !"  she  repeated  over  and  over  again,  in 
a  piteous  whisper. 

The  candle  flickered  with  feeble  interest  in  the  shad- 
ows that  began  to  grow  in  the  farthest  comer.  The 
girl  drew  closer  to  the  side  of  the  strong  yet  powerless 
man.  Their  gaze  went  to  the  sputtering  candle.  It  was 
going  out  and  they  would  be  in  utter  darkness.  And  yet 
neither  thought  of  the  supply  of  fresh  candles  in  the 
corner. 

King  brought  himself  out  of  the  strange  lethargy  with 
a  jerk.     It  was  high  time,  for  the  light  was  going. 

"Quick !"  he  cried.  "The  candle !  Light  a  fresh  one. 
My  hands  are  bound." 

She  crept  to  the  candles  and  joined  the  wicks.  A  new 
light  grew  as  the  old  one  died.  Then  she  stood  erect, 
looking  down  upon  him. 

"You  are  bound.    I  forgot." 

She  started  forward,  dropping  to  her  knees  beside 
him,  an  eager  gleam  in  her  eyes.  "If  I  can  untie  the 
rope — will  that  help.^  Can  you  do  anything.''  You  are 
strong.  There  must  be  a  way.  There  must  be  one  little 
chance  for  you — for  us.     Let  me  try." 

"By  Jove,"  he  whispered  admiringly,  his  spirits  leaping 
to  meet  hers.  "You've  got  pluck.  You  put  new  life  in 
me.     I — I  was  almost  a — a  quitter." 

"You  have  been  here  so  long,"  she  explained  quickly. 
"And  tied  all  these  days."    She  was  tugging  at  the  knot. 


A  NEW  PRISONER  ARRIVES  203 

"Only  since  I  gave  that  pleasant  punch  to  Peter 
Brutus." 

"That  shows  what  you  can  do,"  she  whispered  warmly. 
"Oh,  I  wonder !  I  wonder  if  we  have  a  chance !  Any- 
way, your  arms  will  be  free.  I  shall  feel  safer  if  your 
arms  are  free." 

He  sat  with  his  back  to  her  while  she  struggled  with 
the  stubborn  knots.  A  delicious  thrill  of  pleasure  swept 
over  him.  She  had  said  she  would  feel  safer  if  his  arms 
were  free !  She  was  struggling,  with  many  a  tense 
straining  of  dehcate  fingers,  to  undo  the  bonds  which 
held  him  helpless.  The  touch  of  her  eager  fingers,  the 
closeness  of  her  body,  the  warmth  of  her  breathing — 
he  was  beginning  to  hope  that  the  effort  might  be  pro- 
longed interminably. 

At  last,  after  many  despairing  tugs,  the  knot  relaxed. 
"There !"  she  cried,  sinking  back  exhausted.  "Oh,  how 
it  must  have  hurt  you !    Your  wrists  are  raw !" 

He  suppressed  the  tactless  impulse  to  say  that  he  pre- 
ferred a  rope  on  the  wrists  to  one  about  his  neck, 
realising  that  the  jest  could  only  shock  and  not  amuse 
her  under  the  present  conditions. 

His  arms  were  stiff  and  sore  and  hung  like  lead  at  his 
sides.  She  watched  him,  with  narrowed  eyes,  while  he 
stood  off  and  tried  to  work  blood  and  strength  back  into 
his  muscles. 

"Do  you  think  you  can — can  do  anything  now,  Mr. 
King?"  she  asked,  after  a  long  interval. 

He  would  not  tell  her  how  helpless  he  was,  even  with 
his  hands  free.  So  he  smiled  bravely  and  sought  to  re- 
assure her  with  the  most  imposing  boasts  he  could  utter. 
She  began  to  breathe  easier;  the  light  in  her  eyes  grew 
brighter,  more  hopeful. 

"We  must  escape,"  she  said,  as  if  it  were  all  settled. 


204  TRUXTON  KING 

"It  cannot  be  to-night,"  he  gently  informed  her,  a 
sickness  attacking  her  heart.  "Don't  you  think  you'd 
better  try  to  get  some  sleep?" 

He  prevailed  upon  her  to  lie  down,  with  his  coat  for  a 
pillow.     In  two  minutes  she  was  asleep. 

For  an  hour  or  more  he  sat  there,  looking  sorrowfully 
at  the  tired,  sweet  face,  the  utmost  despair  in  his  soul. 
At  last  he  stretched  himself  out  on  the  floor,  near  the 
door,  and  as  he  went  to  sleep  he  prayed  that  Providence 
might  open  a  way  for  him  to  prove  that  she  was  not 
depending  on  him  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A   DIVINITY    SHAPES 

It  was  pitch  dark  when  he  awoke. 

"By  heaven,  it  was  a  dream,  after  all,"  he  murmured 
"Well,  thank  God  for  that.     She  isn't  in  this  damnable 
hole.    And,"  with  a  quickening  of  the  blood,  "she  hasn't 
said  she  was  going  to  marry  Yos  Engo." 

The  sound  of  light  breathing  came  to  his  ears.  He  sat 
up.  His  hands  were  free.  It  had  not  been  a  dream.  She 
xoas  lying  over  there  asleep.  The  candle  had  burnt  itself 
out,  that  was  all.  He  crept  softly  across  the  floor ;  in 
the  darkness  he  found  her,  and  touched  the  garments 
she  wore — and  drew  back  enthralled.  A  strange  joy 
filled  him ;  she  was  his  for  the  time  being.  They  were 
equals  in  this  direful,  unlovely  place;  royal  prejudice 
stood  for  nothing  here.  The  mad  desire  to  pick  her  up 
in  his  arms  and  hold  her  close  came  over  him — only  to 
perish  as  quickly  as  it  flamed.  What  was  he  thinking 
of? 

She  stirred  restlessly  as  he  crept  back  to  the  door.  The 
sharp,  quick  intake  of  her  breath  told  him  that  she  was 
awake.    He  stopped  and  utter  silence  fell  upon  the  room. 

A  little  moan  escaped  her  lips :  "Who  is  it  ?  Why  is- 
it  so  dark?     WTiat " 

"It  is  I,"  he  whispered  eagerly.  "King.  Don't  be 
afraid.  The  candle  burnt  out  while  we  were  asleep.  I 
did  not  intend  to  sleep.  I'm  sorry.  We  can't  have  a 
light  now  until  some  one  comes  in  the  morning.  Don't 
be  afraid." 

"I  am  afraid.     Where  are  you?" 

"Here !"    He  hastened  to  her  side.    As  he  came  up  she 


206  TRUXTON  KING 

touched  his  face  with  her  hand  timorously.  He  caught 
the  wayward  fingers  in  his  own  and  held  them,  drawing 
quite  close  to  her.     "It's  all  right,"  he  said. 

"Will  they  come  soon?" 

"I  hope  not — I  mean,  yes ;  it  must  be  morning." 

"I  loathe  the  dark,"  she  sighed.  Presently  her  head 
dropped  over  against  his  shoulder  and  she  was  asleep 
again. 

"I  don't  give  a  damn  if  they  never  come,"  thought 
Truxton  King,  intoxicated  with  bliss. 

Afraid  to  move  for  fear  of  disturbing  her,  he  sat  there 
for  an  hour  or  more  his  back  twisted  and  uncomfort- 
able, but  never  so  resolute.  He  would  not  have  moved 
for  all  the  world. 

All  this  time  his  brain  was  working  like  mad  in  the 
new-found  desire  to  perform  miracles  for  the  sake  of 
this  lovel}',  unattainable  creature.  Was  there  no  way 
to  foil  these  triumphant  conspirators?  He  was  forget^ 
ting  the  Prince,  the  horrors  of  the  26th ;  he  was  think- 
ing only  of  saving  this  girl  from  the  fate  that  Marlanx 
had  in  store  for  her.  Vos  Engo  may  have  had  the 
promise,  but  what  could  it  profit  him  if  Marlanx  had  the 
girl? 

"I've  got  about  as  much  chance  as  a  snowball,"  he  re- 
flected, courage  and  decision  growing  stronger  each  mo- 
ment. "I  might  just  as  well  die  one  way  as  another.  If 
I  could  only  catch  'em  napping  for  a  minute,  I  might 
turn  the  trick.  God,  that  would  be — "  he  was  lost  in 
ecstatic  contemplation  of  the  glory  that  such  an  event 
would  bring. 

Footsteps  in  the  outer  room  recalled  him  to  the  bitter 
realit}'  of  their  position.  He  awoke  her  and  whispered 
words  of  encouragement  into  her  bewildered  ears.  Then 
he  put  on  his  coat  and  threw  himself  on  the  floor,  first 


A  DIVINITY  SHAPES  SOT 

wrapping  the  rope  about  his  wrists  to  deceive  the 
guard. 

A  key  turned  in  the  padlock  and  the  bolt  was  raised. 
Old  man  Spantz  stood  in  the  doorway,  peering  in  at 
them.  In  surly  tones  Truxton  rephed  to  his  sharp 
quer}',  saying  that  the  candle  had  gone  out  while  he 
slept. 

"It  is  noon,"  said  the  old  man  irascibly.  Then  he  came 
in  and  lighted  a  candle. 

"Noon  of  the  25th,"  said  Truxton  bitterly.  "In 
twenty-four  hours  it  will  be  all  over,  eh,  Spantz.?" 

"At  noon  to-morrow,"  said  Spantz  grimly. 

There  were  half  a  dozen  men  in  the  outer  room,  con- 
versing in  low,  excited  tones  ;  the  fervent  gesticulations 
which  usually  marked  their  discussions  wert  missing, 
proving  the  constraint  that  had  descended  upon  them. 
One  of  them — it  was  Julius  Spantz — brought  in  the 
food  for  the  prisoners,  setting  it  on  the  floor  between 
them. 

"It  is  usually  the  duty  of  our  friend  Julius  to  feed 
me,"  observed  Truxton  to  his  fellow-prisoner.  "I  dare 
say  he  won't  mind  if  you  relieve  him  of  the  task." 

"She  can  feed  you  if  she  likes,"  growled  Julius. 

"Julius.?"  queried  the  girl  from  the  Castle,  peering  at 
the  man.     "Not  Julius  Spantz,  of  the  armoury?" 

"The  same,"  said  Truxton.  Julius  laughed  awkwardly 
and  withdrew.  "Son  of  our  distinguished  host  here. 
Permit  me  to  present  Herr  William " 

"Enough,"  snarled  William  Spantz,  with  a  threaten- 
ing movement  toward  King.  His  manner  changed  com- 
pletely, however,  when  he  turned  to  address  the  young 
lady.  "I  beg  to  inform  3^ou,  madam,  that  your  stay  in 
this  unwholesome  place  is  to  be  brief.  Pray  endure  it 
for  the  remainder  of  this  day.     To-night  you  will  be 


208  TRUXTON  KING 

removed  to  more  pleasant  quarters,  that  a  friend  has 
prepared  for  you.  I  may  say  to  you,  however,  that  it 
will  be  necessar}^  to  place  a  gag  in  your  mouth  before 
you  depart.  This  is  to  be  a  critical  night  in  our  affairs." 
He  lifted  an  inspired  gaze  heavenward.  "Let  me  assure 
you,  madam,  that  the  two  gentlemen  who  are  to  conduct 
you  to  tlie  Count's — to  your  new  quarters,  are  consider- 
ate, kindl}'  men ;  you  need  feel  no  further  alarm.  I  am 
requested  to  tell  you  this,  so  that  you  may  rest  easy  for 
the  balance  of  the  day.  As  for  3^ou,  my  friend,"  turn- 
ing to  Truxton  and  smiling  ironically,  "I  deeply  deplore 
the  fact  that  you  are  to  remain.  You  may  be  lonesome  in 
the  dead  hours, for,  as  you  may  imagine,  we,  your  dearest 
friends,  will  be  off  about  a  certain  business  that  is  known 
to  3^ou,  if  I  mistake  not  in  believing  that  you  have 
listened  at  the  door  these  many  nights.  When  we  next 
gather  in  the  room  beyond,  a  new  dispensation  will  have 
begun.  You  may  be  interested  then  to  hear  what  we 
have  to  say — out  there." 

Truxton  was  silent  for  a  moment,  a  sudden,  swift 
thought  flooding  his  brain.  Controlling  the  quiver  of 
anticipation  in  his  voice,  he  took  occasion  to  say: 

"I  only  hope  you'll  not  forget  to  come  back.  I  should 
be  lonesome,  Spantz." 

*'0h,  we'll  not  forget  3^ou." 

"I  suppose  not.  By  the  way,  would  you  mind  telling 
me  what  has  become  of  j^our  niece  .^" 

Spantz  glared  at  him.  "She  does  not  meet  with  us 
now.  My  niece  is  consecrating  her  every  thought  to 
the  task  that  lies  before  her.  You  will  not  see  her  accain." 

"It's  an  infernal  shame,  that's  what  it  is,"  exclaimed 
King,  "to  put  it  all  upon  that  poor  girl !  God,  I'd  give 
ten  years  of  my  life  to  lead  her  out  of  this  devil's  mess. 
She's  too  good  for — for  that.     It's " 


A  DIVINITY  SHAPES  209 

"She  will  be  out  of  it,  as  you  say,  to-morrow,  my  ex- 
cellent Samaritan.  She  knows."  There  could  be  no 
mistake  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  prophetic  words. 

With  a  profound  bow  to  the  lady  and  a  leer  for  King, 
he  departed,  bolting  the  door  behind  him.  Instantly 
King  was  at  her  side. 

"An  idea  has  come  to  me,"  he  whispered  eagerly.  "I 
think  I  see  a  way.  By  George,  if  it  should  only  happen 
as  I  hope  it  may !" 

"Tell  me !"  she  insisted. 

"Not  now.  I  must  think  it  all  out  carefully.  It  won't 
do  to  get  your  hopes  up  and  then  fail." 

Whatever  the  thought  was  that  had  come  to  him,  it 
certainly  had  put  new  life  and  hope  into  him.  She  nib- 
bled at  the  unwholesome  food,  never  rem^oving  her  e^'^es 
from  his  tall,  restless  figure  as  he  paced  the  floor,  his 
brows  knit  in  thought.  Finally  he  sat  down  beside  her, 
calmly  helping  himself  to  a  huge  slice  of  bread  and  a 
boiled  carrot. 

"I've  never  liked  carrots  before.  I  love  'em  now.  I'm 
taking  them  for  my  complexion." 

"Don't  jest,  Mr.  King.  What  is  it  you  intend  to  do? 
Please  tell  me.  I  must  know.  You  heard  what  he  said 
about  taking  me  to  the  Count's.  He  meant  Marlanx. 
I  will  die  first." 

"No.  I  will  die  first.  By  the  way,  I  may  as  well  tell 
you  that  I  wasn't  thinking  altogether  of  how  we  are  to 
escape.  There  was  something  else  on  my  mind."  He 
stopped  and  looked  at  her  puzzled  face.  "Why  should 
I  save  you  from  Marlanx  just  to  have  3^ou  hurr}^  off 
and  get  married  to  Vos  Engo?  It's  a  mean  thought,  I 
know,"  hastily,  "and  unworthy  of  a  typical  hero,  but, 
just  the  same,  I  hate  to  think  of  you  marrying  some 
one — else." 


210  TRUXTON  KING 

"Some  one  else?"  she  questioned,  a  pucker  on  her  fore- 
head. 

"Oh,  I  know  I  wouldn't  have  a  ghost  of  a  chance,  even 
if  there  wasn't  a  Vos  Engo.  It  isn't  that,"  he  explained. 
"I  recognise  the — er — difference  in  our  stations 
and—" 

"Are  you  craz}^,  Mr.  King?" 

"Not  now.  I  was  a  bit  touched,  I  think,  but  Tm  over 
it  now.  I  dare  say  it  was  caused  by  excessive  reading 
of  improbable  romances.  Life  rather  takes  it  out  of  a 
fellow,  don't  you  know.  It's  all  simple  enough  in  books, 
but  in " 

"What  has  all  this  got  to  do  with  your  plan  to  escape  ?" 

"Nothing  at  all.  It  merely  has  to  do  with  my  ambition 
to  become  a  true  hero.  You  see,  I'm  an  amateur  hero. 
Of  course,  this  is  good  practice  for  me ;  in  time,  I  may 
become  an  expert  and  have  no  difficulty  in  winning  a 
duchess  or  even  a  princess.  Don't  misunderstand  me. 
I  intend  to  do  all  I  can  toward  rescuing  you  to-night. 
The  point  I'm  trying  to  get  at  is  this :  don't  you  think 
it's  pretty  rough  on  a  hero  to  save  the  girl  for  some 
other  fellow  to  snap  up  and  marry?" 

"I  think  I  begin  to  see,"  she  said,  a  touch  of  pink 
coming  into  her  cheeks. 

"That's  encouraging,"  he  said,  staring  gloomily  at  the 
food    he   had   put    aside.      "You    are    quite    sure    you- 
promised  Vos  Engo  that  you'd  marry  him  ?" 

"No.  I  did  not  promise  him  that  I'd  marry  him,"  she 
said,  leaning  back  and  surveying  him  between  narrowed 
lids. 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  You  said  you  had  promised " 

"You  did  not  allow  me  time  to  finish.     I  meant  to  say 

that  I  had  promised  to  let  him  know  in  a  day  or  two. 
That  is  all,  Mr.  King."    There  was  a  suspicious  tremor 


A  DR'INITY  SHAPES  211 

in  her  voice  and  her  gaze  wavered  beneath  his  unbeliev- 
ing stare. 

''What's  that?"  he  demanded.  "You — vou  don't  mean 
to  say  that —  Oh,  Lord  1  I  wonder !  I  wonder  if  I  have 
a  chance — just  a  ghost  of  a  chance.^"  He  leaned  very 
close,  incredulous,  fascinated.  ''What  is  it  that  you 
are  going  to  let  him  know?     Yes  or  no?" 

"That  was  the  question  I  was  considering  when  the 
brigands  caught  me,"  she  answered,  meeting  his  gaze 
fairly.     "I  haven't  thought  of  it  since." 

"Of  course,  he  is  in  your  own  class,"  said  Truxton 
glumly. 

She  hesitated  an  instant,  her  face  growing  verv  serious. 
"Mr.  King,  has  no  one  told  you  my  name — who  I  am?" 
she  asked. 

"You  are  the  Prince's  aunt,  that's  all  I  know." 

"No  more  his  aunt  in  reality  than  Jack  Tullis  is  his 
uncle.    I  thought  you  understood." 

"\Mio  are  you,  then?" 

"I  am  Jack  TuUis's  sister,  a  New  Yorker  bred  and 
bom,  and  I  live  not  more  than  two  blocks  from 
your " 

"For  the  love  of "  he  began  blankly;  then  words 

failed  him,  which  was  just  as  well.     He  gulped  twice, 

joy  or  unbelief  choking  him.     The  smile  that  crept  into 

^her   face   dazzled  him;   he  stared   at  her  in  speechless 

.amazement.     "Then — then,   you  are   not  a  duchess  or 

a "  he  began  again. 

"Not  at  all.  A  very  plain  New  Yorker,"  she  said, 
laughing  aloud  in  sudden  hysteria.  For  some  reason  she 
drew  quickly  away  from  him.  "You  are  not  disap- 
pointed, are  you?     Does  it  spoil  your  romance  to " 

"Spoil  it?  Disappointed?  No!  By  George,  I — I 
can't  believe  that  anj  such  ludi — no,  no,  I  don't  mean  it 


Sl^  TRUXTON  KING 

just  that  way!  Let  me  think  it  out.  Let  me  get  it 
through  mv  head."  He  leaned  back  against  the  wall 
and  devoured  her  with  eager,  disturbing  eyes.  "You  are 
TulHs's  sister.?  You  live  near — Oh,  I  say,  this  is  glori- 
ous I"  He  arose  and  took  a  turn  about  the  room.  In 
some  nervousness  and  uncertainty  she  also  came  to  her 
feet,  watching  him  wonderingly.  He  hurried  back  to 
her,  a  new  light  in  his  ej'es.  She  was  very  desirable, 
this  slender,  uncertain  person  in  the  crumpled  grey. 

"Miss  Tullis,"  he  said,  a  thrill  in  his  voice,  "you  are 
a  princess,  just  the  same.  I  never  was  so  happy  in  my 
life  as  I  am  this  minute.  It  isn't  so  black  as  it  was.  I 
thought  I  couldn't  win  you  because  you " 

"Win  me?"  she  gasped,  her  lips  parted  in  wonder. 

"Precisely.  Now  I'm  looking  at  it  differently.  I 
don't  mind  telling  you  that  I'm  in  love  with  you — des- 
perately in  love.  It's  been  so  with  me  ever  since  that 
da}^  in  the  Park.  I  loved  you  as  a  duchess  or  a  princess, 
and  without  hope.  Now,  I — I — well,  I'm  going  to 
hope.  Perhaps  Vos  Engo  has  the  better  of  me  just  now, 
but  I'm  in  the  lists  with  him — with  all  of  them.  If  I 
get  you  out  of  this  place — and  myself  as  well — I  want 
you  to  understand  that  from  this  very  minute  I  am 
trying  to  win  you  if  it  lies  in  the  power  of  any  American 
to  "v\an  a  girl  who  has  suitors  among  the  nobility.  Will 
— will  you  give  me  a  chance — just  a  ghost  of  a  chance? 
I'll  try  to  do  the  rest." 

"Are — are  you  really  in  earnest.?"  she  murmured,  com- 
posure flying  to  the  winds. 

"Yes ;  terribly  so,"  he  said  gently.  "I  mean  every  word 
of  it.     I  do  love  3^ou." 

"I — I  cannot  talk  about  it  now,  ]Mr.  King,"  she  flut- 
tered, moving  away  from  him  in  a  sudden  panic.  Pres- 
ently he  went  over  to  her.     She  was  standing  near  the 


A  DIVINITY  SHAPES  216 

candle,  staring  down  at  the  flame  with  a  strangely  pre- 
occupied  expression  in  her  e^^es. 

"Forgive  me,"  he  said.  "I  was  hasty,  inconsideratSc 
I " 

"You  quite  took  my  breath  away,"  she  panted,  looking 
•  up  at  him  with  a  queer  little  smile. 

"I  know,"  he  murmured. 

Her  troubled  gaze  resumed  its  sober  contemplation  of 
the  flame. 

"How  was  I  to  tell — "  she  began,  but  checked  herself, 
*'Please,  Mr.  King,  you  won't  say  anything  more  to  me 
about — about  it, — just  now,  will  you.?  Shall  we  talk 
of  our  plans  for  to-night .?    Tell  me  about  them." 

He  lowered  his  e^^es,  suddenly  disheartened.  "I  only 
ask  you  to  believe  that  I  am  desperately  in  earnest." 

"I  cannot  comprehend  how — I  mean,  it  is  so  very  won- 
derful. You  don't  think  me  unappreciative,  or  meanc 
do  you.'^" 

"Of  course  not.  You  are  startled,  that's  all.  I'm  a 
blundering  fool.  Still,  you  must  agree  that  I  was 
frightfully  bowled  over  when  I  found  that  you  were  not 
what  I  thought.  I  couldn't  hold  back,  that's  all.  By 
Jove,  isn't  it  wonderful.?  Here  I've  been  looking  all 
over  the  world  for  you,  onl}'  to  find  that  you've  been 
living  around  the  corner  from  me  all  these  years !  It's 
positively  staggering!  Why,"  with  a  sudden  burst  of 
■^his  unquenchable  buo^'ancy,  "we  might  have  been  mar- 
ried two  3^ears  ago  and  saved  all  this  trouble.  Just  think 
of  it  1" 

She  smiled.  "I  do  like  you,"  she  said  warmty,  giving 
him  her  hand.  He  kissed  it  gallantly  and  stepped  back 
• — resolutely. 

"That's  something,"  he  said  with  his  humblest,  rcost 
conquering  smile. 


214  TRUXTON  KING 

"You  won't  leave  me  to  my  fate  because  yon  think  I'm 

going  to  marry — some  one  else?" 

He  grew  very  sober.  "Miss  TuUis,  you  and  I  have  one 
chance  in  a  thousand.    You  may  as  well  know  the  truth." 

"Oh,  I  can't  bear  the  thought  of  that  dreadful  old 
man,"  she  cried,  abject  distress  in  her  eyes. 

He  gritted  his  teeth  and  turned  away.  She  went  back< 
to  the  corner,  dully  rearranging  the  coat  he  had  given" 
her  for  comfort.  She  handled  it  with  a  tenderness  that 
would  have  astonished  the  garment  had  it  been  capable 
of  understanding.  For  a  long  time  she  watched  him  in 
silence  as  he  paced  to  and  fro  like  a  caged  lion.  Twice 
she  heard  him  mutter:  "An  American  girl — good 
Lord,"  and  she  found  herself  smiHng  to  herself — the 
strange,  vagrant  smile  that  comes  of  wonder  and  self- 
gratification. 

Late  in  the  afternoon — long  hours  in  which  they  had 
spoken  to  each  other  with  curious  infrequency,  each 
a  prey  to  sombre  thoughts — their  door  was  unlocked 
and  Anna  Cromer  appeared  before  them,  accompanied 
by  two  of  the  men.  Crisply  she  commanded  the  girl  to 
come  forth ;  she  wanted  to  talk  with  her. 

She  was  in  the  outer  room  for  the  better  part  of  an 
hour,  Hstening  to  Anna  Cromer  and  Madame  Drovnask, 
who  dinned  the  praises  of  the  great  Count  Marlanx  into 
her  ears  until  she  was  ready  to  scream.  They  bathed 
the  girl's  face  and  brushed  her  hair  and  freshened  her 
garments.  It  occurred  to  her  that  she  was  being  pre-  I 
pared  for  a  visit  of  the  redoubtable  Marlanx  himself, 
and  put  the  question  plainly. 

"No,"  said  Anna  Cromer,  "He's  not  coming  here. 
You  are  going  to  him.  He  will  not  be  Count  Marlanx 
after  to-morrow,  but  Citizen  Marlanx — one  of  the 
people,  one  of  us.     Ah,  he  is  a  big  man  to  do  this." 


A  DWINITY  SHAPES  ^15 

Little  did  they  know  Marlanx! 

"Julius  and  Peter  will  come  for  you  to-night,"  said 
Madame  Drovnask,  with  an  evil,  suggestive  smile.  "\Ye 
will  not  be  here  to  sa}'  farewell,  but,  my  dear,  3'ou  will 
be  one  of  us  before — weh,  before  man}^  days  have 
passed." 

Truxton  was  beginning  to  tremble  with  the  fear  that 
.he  would  not  be  returned  to  their  room,  when  the  door 
was  opened  and  she  came  in — most  gladly,  he  could  see. 
The  two  women  bade  him  a  cool,  unmistakable  Good-bye, 
and  left  him  in  charge  of  the  men  who  had  just  come 
down  from  the  shop  above. 

For  half  an  hour  Peter  Brutus  taunted  him.  It  was 
all  he  could  do  to  keep  his  hands  wrapped  in  the  rope 
behind  his  back;  he  was  thankful  when  they  returned 
him  to  his  cell.  The  time  was  not  ripe  for  the  dash  he 
was  now  determined  to  make. 

"Get  a  httle  nap,  if  you  can,"  he  said  to  Loraine,  when 
the  door  vras  locked  behind  him.  "It  won't  be  long  be- 
fore som.ething  happens.  I've  got  a  plan.  You'll  have 
your  part  to  play.  God  grant  that  it  ma}^  work  out 
well  for  us.     You — you  might  pray  if — if " 

"Yes,  I  can  pray,"  she  said  simply.  "I'll  do  my  part, 
Mr.  King." 

He  waited  a  moment.    "We've  been  neighbours  in  New 
York  for  years,"  he  said.     "Would  you  mind  calling  me 
jTruxton, — and  for  Adele's  sake,  too.^" 
j^  "It  isn't  hard  to  do,  Truxton." 

"Good!"  he  exclaimed. 

She  rebelled  at  the  mere  thought  of  sleep,  but,  un- 
fastening her  collar  and  removing  the  jabot,  she  made 
herself  a  comfortable  cushion  of  his  coat  and  sat  back 
in  her  corner,  strangely  confident  that  this  strong,  eager 
American  would  deliver  her  from  the  Philistines — this 


216  TRUXTON  KING 

fighting  American  T^'itli  the  ten  days'  growth  of  beard 
on  his  erstv\-hile  merry  face. 

Sometime  in  the  tense,  suffocating  hours  of  the  night 
they  heard  the  sounds  of  many  footsteps  shuffling  about 
the  outer  room;  there  were  hoarse,  guttural,  subdued 
good-byes  and  weli-wishes,  the  creaking  of  heavy  doors 
and  the  dropping  of  bolts.  Eventually  King,  who  had 
been  listening  alertly,  realised  that  but  two  of  the  men 
remained  in  the  room — Peter  Brutus  and  Julius  Spantz. 

An  hour  crept  by,  and  another,  seemingly  intermu- 
nable  King  was  fairly  groaning  under  the  suspense.  The 
time  was  slowly,  too  slowly  approaching  when  he  was 
to  attempt  the  most  desperate  act  in  all  this  sanguinary 
tragedy — the  last  act  for  him,  no  doubt,  but  the  one 
in  which  he  was  to  see  himself  glorified. 

There  remained  the  chance — the  slim  chance  that  only 
Providence  considers.  He  had  prayed  for  strength  and 
cunning;  she  had  prayed  for  divine  intervention.  But, 
after  all,  Luck  was  to  be  the  referee. 

He  had  told  her  of  his  plan ;  she  knew  the  part  she  was 
to  play.  And  if  all  went  well — ah,  then!  He  took  a 
strange  lesson  in  the  language  of  Graustark:  one  sen- 
tence, that  was  all.  She  had  whispered  the  translation 
to  him  and  he  had  grimly  repeated  it,  over  and  over 
again.  "She  has  fainted,  damn  her !"  It  was  to  be  their 
"Open  Sesame" — if  all  went  well ! 

Suddenly  he  started  to  his  feet,  his  jaws  set,  his  eyes 
gleaming.  The  telegraph  instalment  was  clicking  in 
the  outer  room ! 

He  had  wrapped  his  handkerchief  about  his  big  right 
hand,  producing  a  sort  of  cushion  to  deaden  the  sound 
of  a  blow  with  the  fist  and  to  protect  his  knuckles ;  for 
all  his  strength  was  to  go  into  that  one  mighty  blow.  If 
both  men  came  into  the  room,  his  chance  was  smaller; 


A  DIVINITY  SHAPES  21T 

but,  in  either  event,  the  first  blow  was  to  be  a  mighty 
one. 

Taking  his  position  near  the  girl,  who  was  crouching 
in  real  dismay,  he  leaned  against  the  wall,  his  hands  be- 
hind him,  every  muscle  strained  and  taut. 

The  door  opened  and  Julius  Spantz,  bewhiskered  and 
awkward,  entered.  He  wore  a  raincoat  and  storm  hat, 
and  carried  a  rope  in  one  of  his  hands.  He  stopped  just 
inside  the  door  tc  survey  the  picture. 

"Time  you  were  asleep,"  he  said  stupidly,  addressing 
King. 

"I'd  put  you  to  sleep,  Julius,  if  Miss  Tullis  could  have 
managed  to  untie  these  infernal  bonds,"  said  Truxton; 
with  pleasant  daring. 

"I  don't  tie  lovers'  knots,"  grinned  Julius,  pleased  with 
his  own  wit.  "Come,  madam,  I  m.ust  ask  you  to  stand 
up.  Will  you  put  your  own  handkerchief  in  your  mouth, 
or  must  I  use  force — ah,  that^s  good!  I'm  sorry,  but 
I  must  wrap  this  cloth  about " 

He  did  not  complete  the  sentence,  for  he  had  come 
within  range.  The  whole  weight  of  Truxton  King's 
body  was  behind  the  terrific  blow  that  landed  on  the 
man's  jaw.  Loraine  suppressed  the  scream  that  rose  to 
her  white  lips.  Julius  Spantz's  knees  crumpled;  he 
lunged  against  the  wall  and  was  sliding  down  when  King 
caught  him  in  his  arms.  The  man  was  stunned  beyond 
all  power  of  immediate  action.  It  was  the  work  of  an 
instant  to  snatch  the  revolver  from  his  coat  pocket.        * 

"Guard  the  door!"  whispered  King  to  the  girl,  press- 
ing the  revolver  into  her  hand.  "And  shoot  if  you  have 
to !" 

A  handkerchief  was  stuffed  into  the  unconscious  man's 
mouth;  the  long  coat  and  boots  were  jerked  from  his 
limp  body  before  his  hands  and  feet  were  bound  with  the 


218  TRUXTON  KING 

rope  he  carried;  the  bushy  whiskers  and  wig  were  re- 
moved from  his  head  and  transferred  in  a  flash  to  that 
of  the  American.  Then  the  boots,  coat  and  hat  found 
a  new  wearer. 

Peter  Brutus  was  standing  in  the  stairway,  leading  to 
■the  sewer,  listening  eagerly  for  sounds  from  either  side. 

"Hurry  up,  Julius,"  he  called  imperatively.  "They 
rare  below  with  the  boat.     They  have  given  the  signal." 

The  nev>^  Julius  uttered  a  single  sentence ;  that  was  all. 
If  Peter  heard  the  noise  attending  the  disposal  of  his 
comrade,  he  was  justified  in  believing  that  the  girl  had 
offered  some  resistance.  When  a  tall,  grunting  man 
emerged  from  the  inner  room,  bearing  the  limp  figure 
of  a  girl  in  a  frayed  raincoat,  he  did  not  wait  to  ask 
questions,  but  rushed  over  and  locked  the  cell-door.  Then 
he  led  the  way  down  the  narrow  stairway,  lighting  the 
passage  with  a  candle.  His  only  reply  to  King's  gut- 
tural remark  in  the  Graustark  language  was : 

"Don't  speak,  you  fool!  Not  a  word  until  we  reach 
the  river." 

Down  the  steps  they  went  to  the  opening  in  the  wall  of 
the  sewer.  There,  before  the  bolts  were  drawn  by  Bru- 
tus, a  series  of  raps  were  exchanged  by  men  outside  and 
the  one  who  held  the  ke^^s  within. 

A  moment  later,  the  girl  was  being  lowered  through  the 
hole  into  rough,  eager  arms.  Brutus  and  his  com- 
"jpanion  dropped  through,  the  secret  block  of  masonry 
fwas  closed,  and  off  through  the  shallow  waters  of  the 
'sewer  glided  the  party  riverward  in  the  noiseless  boat 
that  had  come  up  to  ferry  them. 

There  were  three  men  in  the  boat,  not  counting  Trux- 
ton  King. 


I 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ON  THE  RIVER 

No  word  was  spoken  during  this  cautious,  extraordinary 
voyage  underground.  The  boat  drifted  slowly  through 
the  narrow  channel,  unlighted  and  practically  unguided.' 
Two  of  the  men  sat  at  the  rowlocks,  but  the  oars  rested 
Idly  in  the  boat.  With  their  hands  they  kept  the  craft 
from  scraping  against  the  walls. 

The  pseudo-Julius  supported  his  charge  in  the  stern 
of  the  boat ;  Peter  Brutus  sat  in  the  bow,  a  revolver  in 
his  hand,  his  gaze  bent  upon  the  opaqueness  ahead.  A 
whispered  word  of  encouragement  now  and  then  passed 
from  the  lips  of  the  hopeful  American  into  the  ear  of  the 
almost  pulseless  girl,  who  lay  up  against  his  knee. 

"We'll  do  it — sure !"  he  whispered  once,  ever  so  softly. 

"Yes,"  she  scarcely,  breathed,  but  he  heard  and  was 
thrilled.  The  rope  had  dropped  from  her  arms;  she 
had  taken  the  handkerchief  from  her  mouth  at  his  whis- 
pered command. 

At  last  the  boat  crept  out  into  the  rainy,  starless  night. 
He  drew  the  skirts  of  his  own  mackintosh  over  her 
shoulders  and  head.  A  subdued  command  came  from  the 
man  in  the  bow;  the  oars  slipped  into  the  deep,  black 
♦vaters  of  the  river;  without  a  splash  or  a  perceptible 
Sound  the  little  craft  scudded  toward  midstream.  The 
night  was  so  inky  black  that  one  could  not  see  his  hand 
before  his  face. 

At  least  two  of  the  occupants  opened  up  their  throats 
and  lungs  and  gulped  in  the  wet,  fresh  air.  Never  had 
anything  been  so  glorious  to  Tinixton  King  as  these  first 
-tremendous  inhalations  of  pure^.  free  air.    She  felt  his 


220  TRUXTON  KING 

muscles  expand ;  his  whole  body  grew  stronger  and  more 
vital.  Her  heart  was  pounding  violently  against  his 
leg;  he  could  feel  its  throbs,  he  could  hear  the  quick, 
eager  panting  of  her  breath. 

It  was  now  that  he  began  to  wonder,  to  calculate 
against  the  plans  of  their  silent  escort.  Whither  were 
they  bound. ^  When  would  his  chance  come  to  strike 
the  final,  surprising  blow.?  Only  the  greatest  effort  at 
self-control  kept  him  from  ruining  everything  by  prema- 
ture action ;  his  exultation  was  getting  the  better  of 
him.  Coolness  and  patience  were  greater  assets  now 
than  strength  and  daring. 

The  boat  turned  in  mid-stream  and  shot  swiftly  up  th^ 
river,  past  the  black  fortress  with  its  scattered  sentry 
lights,  where  slept  a  garrison  in  sweet  ignorance  of  the 
tragedy  that  was  to  come  upon  them  when  the  sun  was 
high.  The  lights  of  the  city  itself  soon  peeped  down 
into  the  rain-swept  waters ;  music  from  the  distant  cafes 
came  faintly  to  the  ears  of  the  midnight  voyagers.  A 
safe  haven  at  their  very  elbows,  and  yet  unattainable. 

The  occasional  creak  of  an  oar,  a  whispered  oath  of 
dismay,  the  heavy  breathing  of  toilers,  the  soft  blowing 
of  the  mist — ^that  was  all ;  no  other  sound  on  the  broad, 
still  river.  It  was,  indeed,  a  night  fit  for  the  under- 
taking at  hand. 

Truxton  began  to  chafe  under  the  strain.  His  un- 
easiness was  increased  by  the  certain  conviction  that  be- 
fore long  they  would  be  beyond  the  city,  the  walls  of 
which  were  gradually  slipping  past  He  could  not  even 
so  much  as  guess  at  their  destination.  There  was  also 
the  likelihood  of  encountering  reinforcements,  sent  out 
to  meet  the  boatmen,  or  for  protection  at  the  time  of 
landing.  A  hundred  doubts  and  misgivings  assailed 
him.     To  suddenly  open  fire  on  the  rascals  went  against 


ON  THE  RH'ER  221 

the  grain.  A  dashing,  running  fight  on  shore  was  more 
to  his  likincn.  An  ill-timed  move  would  foil  them  even  as 
success  was  in  their  grasp. 

He  considered  their  chances  if  he  were  to  overturn  the 
frail  boat  and  strike  out  for  shore  in  the  darkness.  This 
project  he  gave  up  at  once:  he  did  not  know  the  waters 
nor  the  banks  between  which  they  glided.  They  were 
past  the  walls  now  and  rowing  less  stealthily.  Before 
long  they  would  be  in  a  position  to  speak  aloud:  it 
would  be  awkward  for  him.  The  situation  was  rapidly 
growing  more  and  more  desperate ;  the  time  was  near  at 
hand  when  the  final  effort  would  have  to  be  exerted.  He 
slipped  the  revolver  from  his  pocket ;  somehow  he  was 
unable  to  keep  his  teeth  from  chattering:  but  it  was 
through  excitenient,  not  fear. 

Suddenly  the  boat  turned  to  the  right  and  shot  toward 
the  unseen  bank.  They  were  perhaps  half  a  mile  above 
the  city  wall.  Truxton's  mind  was  working  like  a  trip- 
hammer. He  was  recalling  a  certain  nomad  settlement 
north  of  the  city,  the  quarters  of  fishermen,  poachers  and 
horse-traders:  a  squalid,  unclean  conimunity  that  lay 
under  the  walls  between  the  northern  gates  and  the 
river.  These  people,  he  was  not  slow  to  surmise,  were 
undoubtedly  hand  in  glove  with  Marlanx,  if  not  so 
surely  connected  with  the  misguided  Committee  of  Ten. 
This  being  the  eve  of  the  great  uprising,  it  was  not 
unlikely  that  a  secret  host  lay  here  awake  and  ready  for 
the  foul  observance  of  the  coming  holiday ;  here,  at 
least,  chafed  an  eager,  vicious,  law-hating  community 
of  mendicants  and  outcasts. 

He  had  little  time  to  speculate  on  the  attitude  of  the 
denizens  of  this  unwholesome  place.  The  prow  of  the 
boat  grated  on  the  pebbly  bank,  and  Peter  Brutus 
leaped  over  the  edge  into  the  shallow  water. 


TRUXTON  KING 

"Come  on,  Julius — ^hand  her  over  to  me!"  he  cried, 
making  his  way  to  the  stem. 

As  he  leaned  over  the  side  to  seize  the  girl  in  his  arms, 
Truxton  King  brought  the  butt  of  the  heavy  revolver 
down  upon  his  skull.  Brutus  dropped  across  the  gun- 
waiie  with  a  groan,  dead  to  all  that  was  to  happen  in  the 
next  half  hour  or  more. 

King  was  anxious  to  avoid  the  hullaballoo  that  shoot- 
ing was  sure  to  create  on  shore.  Action  had  been  forced 
upon  him  rather  precipitously,  but  he  was  ready.  Lean- 
ing forward,  he  had  the  two  amazed  oarsmen  covered 
with  the  weapon. 

"Hands  up!  Quick!"  he  cried.  Two  pairs  of  hands 
went  up,  together  with  strange  oaths.  Truxton's  eyes 
had  grown  used  to  the  darkness ;  he  could  see  the  men 
quite  plainly.  "What  are  you  doing?"  he  demanded  of 
Loraine,  who,  behind  him,  was  fumbling  in  the  garments 
of  the  unconscious  Brutus. 

"Getting  his  revolver,"  she  replied,  with  a  quaver  in 
her  voice. 

"Good!"  he  said  exultantly.  "Let's  think  a  minute," 
he  went  on.  "We  don't  dare  turn  these  fellows  loose, 
even  if  we  disarm  them.  They'll  have  a  crowd  after  us 
in  two  minutes."  Still,  keeping  the  men  covered,  he 
cudgelled  his  brain  for  the  means  of  disposing  of  them. 
"I  have  it.  We  must  disarm  them,  tie  them  up  and  set 
'em  adrift.  Do  you  mind  getting  out  into  the  water.? 
It's  ankle  deep,  that's  all.  I'll  keep  them  covered  while 
you  take  their  guns." 

"Nice  way  to  treat  a  friend,"  gi'owled  one  of  the  men« 

"A  friend  ?  By  George,  it's  my  Newport  acquaintance. 
Well,  this  is  a  pleasure !  I  suppose  you  know  that  I'll 
shoot  if  you  resist.     Better  take  it  quietly." 

"Oh,  you'll  shoot,  all  right,"  said  the  other.     "I  told 


ON  THE  Rrv:ER  223 

them  damn  fools  that  a  Yankee'd  get  the  better  of  'em, 
even  if  they  ran  a  steam  roller  over  him  two  or  three 
times.  Say,  you're  a  pippin !  I'd  like  to  take  off  my 
hat  to  you." 

"Don't  bother.     I  acknowledge  the  tribute." 

Loraine  TuUis  was  in  the  water  by  this  time.  With 
nerv'ous  haste  she  obeyed  King's  instructions;  the  big 
revolvers  were  passed  back  to  him. 

"I've  changed  my  mind,"  said  Truxton  suddenly. 
"We'll  keep  the  boat.  Get  in,  Miss  Tullis.  There! 
Now,  push  off,  Newport." 

"What  the  devil — "  began  Newport,  but  King  silenced 
him.     The  boat  slowly  drifted  out  into  the  current. 

"Now,  row!"  he  commanded.  With  his  free  hand  he 
reached  back  and  dragged  the  limp  Brutus  into  the 
boat.  "'Gad,  I  believe  he's  dead,"  he  muttered. 

For  five  minutes  the  surly  oarsmen  pulled  away,  headed 
in  the  direction  from  which  they  came. 

"Can  you  swim?"  demanded  King. 

"Not  a  stroke,"  gasped  Newport.  "Good  Lord,  pal, 
you're  not  going  to  dump  us  overboard.  It's  ten  feet 
deep  along  here," 

"Pull  on  your  left,  hard.  That's  right.  I'm  going 
to  land  you  on  the  opposite  shore — and  then  bid  you  a 
cheerful  good-night." 

Two  minutes  later  they  ran  up  under  the  western  bank 
of  the  stream,  which  at  this  point  was  fully  three  hun- 
dred yards  wide.  The  nearest  bridge  was  a  mile  and  a 
half  away  and  habitations  were  scarce,  as  he  well  knew. 
Under  cover  of  the  deadly  revolver,  the  two  men  dropped 
into  the  water,  which  was  above  their  waists ;  the  hmp 
form  of  Peter  Brutus  was  pulled  out  and  transferred  to 
the  shoulders  of  his  companions. 

'*Good-night,"  called  out  Truxton  King  cheerily.     He 


224.  TRUXTON  KING 

had  grasped  the  oars ;  the  little  boat  leaped  off  into  the 
night,  leaving  the  cursing  desperadoes  waist-deep  in  the 
chill}^  waters. 

"See  you  later,"  sang  out  Newport,  with  sudden 
humour. 

"We'll  go  south,"  said  Truxton  King  to  the  girl  who 
sat  in  the  stern,  clutching  the  sides  of  the  boat  with 
tense  fingers.  "I  don't  know  just  where  we'll  land,  but 
it  won't  be  up  in  Devil's  Patch,  you  may  rest  assured  of 
that.  Pardon  me  if  I  do  not  indulge  in  small  talk  and 
bonmots ;  I'm  going  to  be  otherwise  employed  for  some 
time,  Miss  Tullis.    Do  you  know  the  river  very  well.^" 

"Not  at  all,"  she  replied.  "I  only  know  that  the  barge 
docks  are  below  here  somewhere.  Pm  sure  we  can  get 
into  the  city  if  we  can  find  the  docks.  Let  me  take  the 
oars,  too,  Mr.  King.   I  can  row." 

"No.  Please  sit  where  you  are  and  keep  your  eyes 
*4iead.     Can  you  see  where  we're  going?" 

"I  can  see  the  lights.  We're  in  mid-stream,  I  think. 
It's  so  very  dark  and  the  wind  is  coming  up  in  a  gale. 
It's — it's  going  to  storm.  Don't  you  think  we'd  better 
try  for  a  landing  along  the  walls  .'^  They  say  the  river  is 
very  treacherous."     She  was  trembling  like  a  leaf. 

"I'll  row  over  to  the  east  side,  but  I  don't  like  to  get 
too  close  to  the  walls.  Some  one  may  have  heard  the 
shouts  of  our  friends  back  there." 

Not  another  word  passed  between  them  for  ten  or 
twelve  minutes.  She  peered  anxiously  ahead,  looking  for 
signs  of  the  barge  dock,  which  la}^  somewhere  along  this 
section  of  the  city  wall.  In  time,  of  course,  the  ma- 
rooned desperadoes  might  be  expected  to  find  a  way  to 
pursue  them,  or,  at  least,  to  alarm  watchful  confederates 
on  the  city  side  of  tlie  river.  It  was  a  tense,  anxious 
quarter  of  an  hour  for  the  liberated  pair.     So  near  to 


\ 


ON  THE  RIVER  225 

absolute  safety,  and  yet  so  utterly  in  the  dark  as  to 
what  the  next  moment  might  develop — weal  or  woe. 

At  least  the  sound  of  rapidly  working  rowlocks  came 
to  the  girl's  ears.  They  were  slipping  along  in  the  dense 
blackness  beneath  the  walls,  making  as  little  noise  as 
possible  and  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  the  long, 
low  dock. 

"They're  after  us,"  grated  Tinixton,  in  desperation. 
"They've  got  word  to  friends  one  way  or  another.  By 
Jove !  I'm  nearly  fagged,  too.  I  can't  pull  much  farther, 
Keilo!     What's  this?" 

The  side  of  the  boat  caromed  off  a  solid  object  in  the 
water,  almost  spilling  them  into  the  wind-blown  river. 

"The  docks !"  she  whispered.  "We  struck  a  small 
scow,  I  think.  Can  vou  find  vour  wav  in  amoncr  the 
coal  barges  ?" 

He  paddled  along  slowly,  feeling  his  way,  scraping 
alongside  the  big  barges  which  delivered  coal  from  the 
distant  mines  to  the  docks  along  the  river  front.  At 
last  he  found  an  opening  and  pushed  through.  A  mo- 
ment later  they  were  riding  under  the  stern  of  a  broad, 
cargoless  barge,  plumb  up  against  the  water-lapped 
piles  of  the  dock. 

Standing  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  he  managed  to  pull 
himself  up  over  the  slippery  edge.  It  was  the  work  of  a 
second  to  draw  her  up  after  him.  With  an  oar  which 
he  had  thought  to  remove  beforehand,  he  g  -ve  the  boat 
a  might V  shove,   sending  it  out  into  the  stream  once 


more. 


Then,  hand  in  hand,  they  edged  slowly,  carefully  along 
the  gravel-strewn  dock,  between  vast  piles  of  lumber  and 
steep  walls  of  coal.  It  was  only  necessary  to  find  the 
railway  company's  runways  leading  into  the  yards 
above ;  in  time  of  peace  there  was  little  hkelihood  that 


226  TRUXTON  KING 

the  entrances  to  the  dock  would  be  closed,  even  at  night. 

Loud  curses  came  up  from  the  river,  proclaiming  the 
fact  that  the  pursuers  had  found  the  empty  boat.  After- 
wards they  were  to  learn  that  "Newport's"  shouts  had 
brought  a  boatload  of  men  from  the  opposite  bank, 
headed  by  the  innkeeper,  in  whose  place  Loraine  was  to 
have  encountered  Marlanx  later  on,  if  plans  had  not  mis- 
carried. She  was  to  have  remained  in  this  outside  inn 
until  after  the  sacking  of  the  cit}^  on  the  following  day. 
The  girl  translated  one  remark  that  came  up  to  them 
from  the  boatload  of  pursuers : 

"The  old  man  is  waiting  back  there.  He'll  kill  the  lot 
of  us  if  we  don't  bring  the  girl." 

By  this  time  King  had  located  the  open  space  which 
undoubtedly  afforded  room  for  the  transfer  of  cargoes 
from  the  dock  to  the  company's  ^^ards  inside  the  walls. 
Without  hesitation  he  drew  her  after  him  up  this  wide, 
sinister  roadway.  They  stumbled  on  over  the  rails  of  the 
"dummy  track,"  collided  with  collier  trucks,  slipped  on 
the  soggy  chutes,  but  all  the  while  forged  ahead  toward 
the  gates  that  so  surely  lay  above  them. 

The  pursuers  were  trying  for  a  landing,  noisily,  even 
boisterously.  It  struck  Truxton  as  queer  that  these 
men  were  not  afraid  of  alarming  the  watchmen  on  the 
docks  or  the  man  at  the  gate  above.  Suddenly  it  came 
to  him  that  there  would  be  no  one  there  to  oppose  the 
landing  of  the  miscreants.  No  doubt  hundreds  of  men 
already  had  stolen  through  these  gates  during  the  night, 
secreting  themselves  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  city,  ready 
for  the  morrow's  fray.  It  is  no  small  wonder  that  he 
shuddered  at  the  thought  of  it. 

There  was  no  one  on  the  wharf — at  least,  no  one  in 
sight.  They  rushed  up  the  narrow  railway  chutes  and 
through  one  of  the  numerous  fjateways  that  opened  out 


ON  THE  RI\\ER  ^27 

upon  the  barge  docks.  No  one  opposed  them;  no  one 
was  standing  guard.  From  behind  came  the  sound  of 
rushing  footsteps.  Lightning  flashed  in  the  sky  and 
the  rumble  of  thunder  broke  over  the  desolate  night. 

"They'll  see  us  by  the  lightning,"  gasped  Truxton, 
almost  ready  to  drop  from  faintness  and  exhaustion. 
He  was  astounded,  even  alarmed,  to  find  that  his  strength 
had  been  so  gravely  depleted  by  confinement  and  lack 
of  nourishment. 

They  were  inside  the  city  walls.  Ahead  of  them,  in 
that  labyrinth  of  filthy  streets  lay  the  way  to  the  dis- 
tant square.  His  arm  was  now  about  her  waist,  for  she 
was  half-fainting ;  he  could  hear  her  gasping  and  moan- 
ing softly,  inarticulate  cries  of  despair.  Switch-lights 
blinked  in  the  distance.  Ofi"  to  the  right  of  them  win- 
dows showed  lights ;  the  clang  of  a  locomotive  bell  came 
to  them  as  from  a  great  distance. 

Their  progress  was  abruptly  halted  by  the  appearance 
of  a  man  ahead,  standing  like  a  statue  in  the  middle  of 
the  network  of  tracks.  They  stumbled  toward  him,  not 
knowing  whether  he  was  friend  or  foe.  One  look  into 
their  faces,  aided  by  the  .are  of  a  yardman's  lantern, 
and  the  fellow  turned  tail  and  fled,  shouting  as  he  did 
so. 

Following  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning,  two  shots  were 
fired  by  the  men  who  were  now  plunging  up  through  the 
gates,  a  hundred  yards  or  more  away.  The  same  flash 
of  lightning  showed  to  King  the  narrow,  muddy  street 
that  stretched  ahead  of  them,  Kned  with  low,  ugly  houses 
of  a  nondescript  character.  Instead  of  doing  the  ob- 
vious thing,  he  turned  sharply  to  the  left,  between  the 
lines  of  freight  cars.  Their  progress  was  slow;  both 
were  ready  to  drop ;  the  way  was  dark  and  unknown  to 
them. 


^28  TRUXTON  KING 

At  last  they  came  to  the  end  of  their  rope :  they  were 
literallj^  up  against  the  great  cit}^  walll  They  had 
reached  the  limits  of  the  railway  yards  and  were  blocked 
on  all  sides  by  they  knew  not  how  many  rows  of  cars. 
Somewhere  off  to  the  right  there  were  streets  and  houses 
and  people,  but  they  did  not  have  the  strength  to  try  to 
reach  them. 

A  car  door  stood  open  in  front  of  them.  He  waited 
for  a  second  flash  of  lightning  to  reveal  to  him  the  na- 
ture of  its  interior.  It  was  quite  empty.  Without 
hesitation  he  clambered  in  and  pulled  her  up  after  him. 
They  fell  over,  completely  fagged. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  storm  broke.  He  managed  to 
close  the  door  against  the  driving  torrents. 

She  was  sobbing  plaintively,  poor,  wet,  bedraggled 
sweetheart — he  called  her  that,  although  she  did  not  hear 
him. 

"We've  fooled  them,"  he  managed  to  whisper,  close  to 
her  ear.  "They  won't  look  here.  You're  safe,  Loraine. 
'Gad,  I'd  like  to  see  any  one  get  you  away  from  me 
now." 

She  pressed  his  arm,  that  was  all.  He  found  himself 
wondering  what  answer  she  would  give  to  A'os  Engo 
when  he  took  her  to  him  to-morrow.  To-morrow !  This 
was  the  26th !  Would  there  be  a  to-morrow  for  any  of 
them — for  Vos  Engo,  for  Tullis,  for  the  Prince?  For 
her? 

"There  will  be  time  to  warn  them  in  the  morning,"  he 
thought,  dulled  by   fatigue.     "We  can't  go   on   now." 

"Truxton,"  he  heard  her  saying,  tremulously,  "do  you 
think  we  can  do  anything  for  them — the  Prince  and 
those  who  are  with  him?  How  can  we  lie  here  when 
there  is  so  much  to  be  done?" 

"When  the  storm  abates — when   we   are      re^.tcd — we 


ON  THE  RICHER  229 

will  try  to  get  away  from  here.  Those  devils  know  that 
I  will  give  the  alarm.  They  will  have  hundreds  of  men 
watching  to  head  us  off.  It  means  everything  to  them. 
You  see,  I  knoic  their  plans.  But,  Loraine,  dear  Httle 
girl,  brave  as  you  are  and  willing  as  I  am,  we  can't  go 
on  until  we've  pulled  ourselves  together.  We're  safe 
here  for  awhile.  Later  on,  we'll  try  to  steal  up  to  the 
city.  They  will  be  watching  every  approach  to  the 
Castle  and  to  the  Tower,  hoping  to  stop  me  in  time. 
We  must  out-fox  them  again.  It  will  be  harder,  too, 
little  girl.  But,  if  I  don't  do  any  more,  I  pledge  you 
that  I'll  save  you  from  Marlanx." 

"Oh,  I  know  you  will.     You  m.ust,  Truxton." 

"I'd — I'd  like  to  be  sure  that  I  am  also  saving  you 
from  Vos  Engo.  I  hate  to  think  of  you  throwing  your- 
self away  on  one  of  these  blithering,  fortune-hunting 
noblem.en."  She  pressed  his  arm  again.  "By  Jove,  it's 
great  fun  being  a  hero,  after  all — and  it  isn't  so  diffi- 
cult, if  the  girl  helps  you  as  you  helped  me.  It's  too 
bad  I  couldn't  do  it  all  by  myself.  I  have  always  counted 
on  rescuino'  you  from  an  02:re's  castle  or  somethino;  of 
that  sort.  It's  rather  commonplace  as  it  is,  don't  you 
think?" 

"I  don't — know  what — you're  talking  about,"  she 
murmured.  Then  she  was  fast  asleep. 
.  The  storm  racked :  savacre  bursts  of  wind  rocked  the 
; little  freight  car;  the  rain  hissed  viciously  against  their 
frail  hotel :  thunder  roared  and  lightning  rent  sky  and 
earth.  The  weary  night-farers  slept  with  pande- 
monium dinning  in  their  ears. 

Ke  sat  with  his  back  against  the  side  of  the  car,  a 
pistol  in  one  hand,  the  other  lying  tenderly  upon  the 
drenched  hair  of  the  girl  whose  head  rested  upon  his 
leg.     She  had  slipped  down  from  his  shoulder;  he  did 


S30  TRUXTON  KING 

not  have  the  desire  or  the  energy  to  prevent  it.  At  his 
side  lay  the  discarded  whiskers.  Manfully  as  he  had 
fought  against  the  impelling  desire  to  sleep,  he  could  not 
beat  it  off.  His  last  waking  thought  was  of  the  effort 
he  must  make  to  reach  Dangloss  with  the  warning. 

Then  the  storm  abated ;  the  soft  drip  of  rain  from  the, 
eaves  of  the  car  beat  a  monotonous  tattoo  in  the  poolsi 
below ;  the  raw  winds  from  the  mountains  blew  stealthily 
in  the  wake  of  the  tornado,  picking  up  the  waste  that 
had  been  left  behind  only  to  cast  it  aside  with  a  moan 
of  derision. 

Something  stirred  in  the  far  end  of  the  car.  A  still, 
small  noise  as  of  something  alive  that  moved  with  the 
utmost  wariness.  A  heavy,  breathing  body  crept 
stealthily  across  the  intervening  space ;  so  quietly  that 
a  mouse  could  have  made  but  little  less  noise. 

Then  it  stopped;  there  was  not  a  sound  inside  the  car 
except  the  deep,  regular  breathing  of  Truxton  King. 
The  girl's  respiration  was  so  faint  that  one  might  have 
thought  she  did  not  breathe  at  all.  Again  the  sly,  cau- 
tious movement  of  a  heavy  body ;  the  creaking  of  a  joint 
or  two,  the  sound  of  a  creature  rising  from  a  crouching 
position  to  the  upright ;  then  the  gentle  rubbing  of 
cloth,  the  fumbling  of  fingers  in  a  stubborn  pocket. 

An  instant  later  the  bluish  flame  of  a  sulphur  match 
struggled  for  life,  growing  stronger  and  brighter  in  the 
hand  of  a  man  who  stood  above  the  sleepers. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  GIRL  IX  THE  EED  CLOAK 

Inside  of  an  hour  after  the  return  of  the  frightened. 
, quivering  groom  who  had  escaped  from  the  brigands  in 
i;he  hills,  Jack  Tullis  was  granted  permission  by  the  war 
department  to  take  a  hundred  picked  men  with  him  in  the 
effort  to  overtake  and  capture  the  abductors  of  his  sister. 
The  dazed  groom's  storj'  hardly  had  been  told  to  the 
horrified  brother  before  he  was  engaged  in  telephoning 
to  General  Braze  and  Baron  Dangloss.  A  hurried  con- 
sultation followed.  Other  affairs  that  had  been  troub- 
ling the  authorities  for  days  were  forgotten  in  the  face 
of  this  distressing  catastrophe ;  there  was  no  time  to  be 
lost  if  the  desperadoes  were  to  be  headed  before  they  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  Dawsbergen  passes  with  their 
lovely  captive.  Once  there,  it  would  be  Hke  hunting  a 
needle  in  a  haystack;  they  could  elude  pursuit  for  days 
among  the  wifd  crags  of  upper  Dawsbergen,  where  none 
but  outlavrs  lived,  and  fierce  beasts  thrived. 

Unluckily  for  the  dearest  hopes  of  the  rescuing  party, 
the  miserable  groom  did  not  reach  the  city  until  almost 
noon  of  the  day  following  the  abduction.  He  had  lost 
.his  way  and  had  wandered  all  night  in  the  forests.  When 
JMiss  Tullis  failed  to  return  at  nightfall,  her  brother, 
'having  in  mind  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  Trux- 
ton  King  and  the  flight  of  Countess  Ingomede,  was  pre- 
paring to  set  forth  in  search  of  her.  A  telephone  mes- 
sage from  Ganlook,  fifteen  miles  north  of  the  city,  came 
at  seven  o'clock,  just  as  he  was  leaving  the  Castle.  The 
speaker  purported  to  be  the  Countess  Prandeville,  a  very 
estimable  chatelaine  who  ruled  socially  o^^er  the  grim  old 


232  TRUXTON  KING 

village  of  Ganlook.  She  informed  Tullis  that  his  sister 
was  with  her  for  the  night,  having  arrived  in  the  after- 
noon with  a  "frightful  headache."  She  would  look  after 
the  dear  child,  of  whom  she  was  very  fond,  and  would 
send  her  down  in  the  morning,  when  she  would  surely  be 
herself  again.  Greatly  relieved,  Tullis  gave  up  his  plan 
to  ride  off  in  quest  of  her ;  he  knew  the  amiable  Countess,. 
and  felt  that  his  sister  was  in  good  hands. 

It  was  not  until  the  return  of  the  groom  that  he  re- 
called the  fact  that  the  voice  on  the  telephone  was  not 
quite  like  that  of  the  Countess.  He  had  been  cleverly- 
hoodwinked.  Baron  Dangloss,  obtaining  connection 
with  the  Prandeville  household  in  Ganlook,  at  once  dis- 
covered that  Loraine  had  not  been  in  the  chateau  in 
many  days. 

The  fierce,  cock-robin  baron  was  sadly  upset.  Three 
prominent  persons  had  been  stolen  from  beneath  his  nose, 
so  to  speak.  He  was  beside  himself  with  rage  and  dis- 
may. This  last  outrage  was  the  climax.  The  old  man 
adored  the  sister  of  Jack  Tullis  ;  he  was  heartbroken  and 
crushed  by  the  news  of  the  catastrophe.  For  a  while  he 
worked  as  if  in  a  daze ;  only  the  fierce  spurring  of  Jack 
Tullis  and  Vos  Engo,  who  believed  himself  to  be  an  ac- 
cepted suitor,  awoke  him  from  an  unusual  state  of 
lethargy.  It  is  even  said  that  the  baron  shed  tears  with- 
out blowing  his  nose  to  discredit  the  emotion. 

The  cit}^  was  soon  to  know  of  the  fresh  outrage  at  the 
hands  of  the  bandits  in  the  hills.  Great  excitement  pre- 
vailed :  there  were  many  sincere  lamentations,  for  the 
beautiful xVmerican  girl  was  a  great  favourite — especially 
with  those  excellent  persons  who  conducted  bazaars  in 
the  main  avenues.  Loraine,  being  an  American,  did  not 
hesitate  to  visit  the  shops  in  person:  sometliing  that  the 
native   ladies   never   thought   of  doing.      Hundreds   of 


THE  GIRL  IN  THE  RED  CLOAK        233 

honest  citizens  volunteered  to  join  in  a  search  of  the 
hills,  but  the  distinction  was  denied  them. 

The  war  department  issued  official  notice  to  all  mer- 
chants that  their  places  of  business  must  be  decorated 
properly  against  the  holiday  that  would  occur  on  the 
morrow.  Shops  were  to  be  closed  for  two  hours  at  mid- 
day, during  the  ceremonies  attending  the  unveiling  of 
the  Yetive  monument  in  the  Plaza.  The  merchants 
might  well  give  their  time  to  decorating  their  shops ; 
the  soldiers  could  do  all  the  searching  and  all  the  fight- 
ing that  was  necessar3\  Strict  orders,  backed  by 
method,  were  issued  to  the  effect  that  no  one  was  to  pass 
through  the  gates  during  the  day,  except  by  special 
permission  from  General  Braze. 

Count  Vos  Engo  was  eager  to  accompany  the  expedi- 
tion to  Dawsbergen  in  search  of  his  wayward  lad3Movs. 
Tullis,  who  Hked  the  gay  young  nobleman  despite  the 
reputation  he  had  managed  to  live  down,  was  willing  that 
he  should  be  the  one  to  lead  the  troops,  but  Colonel 
Quinnox  flatly  refused  to  consider  it. 

"To-morrow's  celebration  in  the  city  will  demand  the 
attendance  of  every  noble  officer  in  the  guard,"  he  said. 
"I  cannot  allow  you  to  go.  Count  Vos  Engo.  Your 
place  is  here,  beside  the  Prince.  Line  officers  nmj  take 
charge  of  this  expedition  to  the  hills ;  they  will  be  amply 
able  to  manage  the  chase.  I  am  sorry  that  it  happens 
so.  The  Royal  Guard,  to  a  man,  must  ride  with  the 
Prince  to-morrow." 

Captain  Haas,  of  the  dragoons,  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  relief  party,  much  to  the  disgust  of  Vos  Engo ; 
and  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  were  ready  to 
ride  away.  The  party  was  armed  and  equipped  for  a 
bitter  chase.  Word  had  been  sent  to  Serros,  the  capital 
of  Dawsbergen,  asking  the  assistance  of  Prince  Dantan 


^S4<  TRUXTON  KING 

in  the  effort  to  overtake  the  abductors.  A  detachment, 
it  was  announced  in  reply,  was  to  start  from  Serros  dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  bound  for  the  eastern  passes. 

Baron  Dangloss  rode  to  the  southern  gate  with  the 
white-faced,  suffering  TulHs.  "We  will  undoubtedly  re- 
ceive a  communication  from  the  rascals  this  afternoon 
or  to-morrow,"  he  said  gloomily.  "Thej^  will  not  be 
slow  to  make  a  formal  demand  for  ransom,  knowing  that 
you  and  your  sister  are  possessed  of  unlimited  wealth.. 
When  this  communication  arrives  it  may  give  us  a  clue. 
to  their  whereabouts ;  certainly  as  to  their  methods.  If 
it  should  be  necessary,  Tullis,  to  apprise  you  of  the 
nature  of  this  demand,  I,  myself,  will  ride  post  haste 
to  St.  IMichael's  Pass,  which  3'ou  are  bound  to  reach  to- 
morrow after  your  circuit  of  the  upper  gaps.  It  is 
possible,  you  see,  that  an  open  attack  on  these  fellows 
may  result  in  her — er — well,  to  be  frank — her  murder. 
Damn  them,  they'd  do  it,  you  know.  i\Iy  place  to-mor- 
row is  here  in  the  city.  There  may  be  disturbances. 
Nothing  serious,  of  course,  but  I  am  uneasy.  There  are 
many  strangers  in  the  city  and  more  are  coming  for  the 
holiday.  The  presence  of  the  Prince  at  the  unveiling  of 
the  statue  of  his  mother — God  bless  her  soul ! — is  a 
tremendous  magnet.  I  would  that  you  could  be  here 
to-morrow,  John  Tullis ;  at  Prince  Robin's  side,  so  to 
ipeak." 

"Poor  little  chap !  He  was  terribly  cut  up  when  I  told 
,  him  I  was  going.  He  wanted  to  come.  Had  his  little 
sword  out,  and  all  that.  Said  the  celebration  could  be 
postponed  or  go  hang,  either  one.  Look  after  him 
closely  to-morrow,  Dangloss.  I'd  shoot  myself  if  any- 
thing were  to  happen  to  him.  ]\Iarlanx  is  in  the  air ;  I 
feel  him,  I  give  you  my  word,  I  do !  I've  been  depressed 
for  days.     As  sure  as  there's  a  sun  up  yonder,  that  old 


THE  GIRL  IX  THE  RED  CLOAK        235 

scoundrel  is  planning  something  desperate.  Don't  for- 
get that  we've  already  learned  a  few  things  regarding 
his  designs."  He  waited  a  moment  before  uttering  his 
gravest  fear.  "Don't  give  him  a  chance  to  strike  at 
the  Prince." 

"He  wouldn't  dare  to  do  that !" 

"He'd  dare  anything,  from  what  I've  heard  of  him." 

"You  hate  him  because " 

"Go  on!  Yes,  I  hate  him  because  he  has  made  her 
unhappy.     Hello,  who's  this.^" 

A  man  who  had  ridden  up  to  the  gates,  his  horse  cov- 
ered with  foam,  was  demanding  admission.  The 
warders  halted  him  unceremoniously  as  Dangloss  rode 
forward.  They  found  that  he  was  one  of  the  foremen 
in  the  employ  of  the  railway  construction  company.  He 
brought  the  disquieting  news  that  another  strike  had 
been  declared,  that  the  men  were  ugly  and  determined  to 
tear  up  the  track  already  laid  unless  their  demands  were 
considered,  and,  furthermore,  that  there  had  been  severe 
fighting  between  the  two  factions  engaged  on  the  work. 
He  urgently  implored  Dangloss  to  send  troops  out  to 
hold  the  rioters  in  check.  ?>Iany  of  the  men  were  de- 
manding their  pay  so  that  they  might  give  up  their 
jobs  and  return  to  their  own  lands. 

"What  is  your  name.^"  demanded  the  harassed  minister 
of  police. 

"Poison,"  replied  the  foreman.  He  lied,  for  he  was 
no  other  than  John  Cromer,  the  unsavoury  husband  of 
Anna  Cromer,  of  the  Committee  of  Ten. 

"Come  with  me,"  said  Dangloss.  "We  will  go  to 
General  Braze.     Good-bye  and  good  luck,  Tullls." 

The  little  baron  rode  back  into  bhe  city,  accompanied 
by  the  shifty-eyed  Cromer,  while  John  Tullis  sped  off 
to  the  south,  riding  swiftly  by  the  side  of  the  stern-faced 


236  TRUXTON  KING 

Captain  Haas,  an  eager  company  of  dragoons  behind, 
a  mountain  guide  in  front. 

At  that  very  moment,  Loraine  TuUis  was  comparing 
notes  with  Truxton  King  in  the  room  beneath  the 
armourer's  shop ;  Count  Marlanx  was  hiding  in  the 
trader's  inn  outside  the  northern  gates;  the  abductors 
themselves  were  scattered  about  the  city,  laughing  tri- 
umphantly over  the  success  of  the  ruse  that  had  drawn 
the  well-feared  American  away  on  a  wild-goose  chase 
to  the  distant  passes  of  Dawsbergen.  ?»Iore  than  that: 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  second  detachment  of 
soliders  left  the  city  for  the  scene  of  the  riots  in  the 
construction  camps,  twenty  miles  away. 

Surely  the  well-laid  plans  of  the  Iron  Count  were  being 
skilfully  carried  out ! 

All  afternoon  and  evening  men  straggled  in  from  the 
hills  and  surrounding  country,  apparently  loth  to  miss 
the  early  excitement  attending  the  ceremonies  on  the 
following  day.  Sullen  strikers  from  the  camps  came 
down,  cursing  the  company  but  drinking  noisj-  toasts 
to  the  railroad  and  its  future.  The  city  by  night 
swarmed  with  revelling  thousands ;  the  bands  were  play- 
ing, the  crowds  were  singing,  and  mobs  were  drinking 
and  carousing  in  the  lower  end.  The  cold,  drizzling  rain 
that  began  to  blow  across  the  city  at  ten  o'clock  did 
little  toward  checking  the  hilarity  of  the  revellers. 
Honest  citizens  went  to  bed  early,  leaving  the  streets  to 
the  strangers  from  the  hills  and  the  river-lands.  Not 
one  dreamed  of  the  ugly  tragedy  that  was  drawing  to 
a  climax  as  he  slept  the  sleep  of  the  just,  the  secure,  the 
conscience-free. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  word  flew  from  brothel 
to  brothel,  from  lodging  house  to  lodging  house,  in  all 
parts  of  the  slumbering  city ;  a  thousand  men  crept  out 


THE  GIRL  IN  THE  RED  CLOAK        237 

into  the  streets  after  the  storm,  all  animated  by  one  im- 
pulse, all  obeying  a  single  fierce  injunction. 

They  were  to  find  and  kill  a  tall  American !  They 
were  to  keep  him  or  his  companion  from  getting  in 
touch  with  the  police  authorities,  or  with  the  Royal 
Castle,  no  matter  what  the  cost ! 

The  streets  were  soon  alive  with  these  alert,  skulking 
minions.  Every  approach  to  the  points  of  danger  was 
guarded  by  desperate,  heavily  armed  scoundrels  who 
would  not  have  hesitated  an  instant  if  it  came  to  their 
hands  to  kill  TiTixton  King,  the  man  with  ail  their 
dearest  secrets  in  his  grasp.  In  dark  doorways  lounged 
these  apparently  couchless  strangers ;  in  areaways  and 
alleys,  on  doorsteps  they  found  shelter;  in  the  main 
streets  and  the  side  streets  they  roamed.  All  the  time 
they  had  an  eager,  evil  eye  out  for  a  tall  American  and 
a  slender  girl ! 

Dangloss's  lynx-eyed  constabulary  kept  close  watch 
over  these  restless,  homeless  strangers,  constantly  order- 
ing them  to  disperse,  or  to  "move  on,"  or  to  "find  a  bed, 
not  a  doorstep."  The  commands  were  always  obeyed; 
churlishly,  perhaps,  in  m_any  instances,  but  never  with 
physical  resistance. 

At  five  o'clock,  a  stealthy  whisper  went  the  rounds, 
reaching  the  ear  of  every  vagabond  and  cutthroat  en- 
gaged in  the  untiring  vigil.  Like  smoke  they  faded 
away.     The  silent  watch  was  over. 

The  word  had  sped  to  every  comer  of  the  town  that 
it  was  no  longer  necessary  to  maintain  the  watch  for 
Truxton  King.  He  was  no  longer  in  a  position  to  give 
them  trouble  or  uneasiness ! 

The  twenty-sixth  dawned  bright  and  cool  after  the 
savage  storm  from  the  north.  Brisk  breezes  floated 
down   from   the   mountain   peaks ;   an   unreluctant    sun 


238  TRUXTON  KING 

smiled  his  cheeriest  from  his  seat  behind  the  hills,  warmly 
awaiting  the  hour  when  he  could  peep  above  them  for 
a  look  into  the  gala  nest  of  humanity  on  the  western 
slope.  Everywhere  there  was  activity,  life,  gladness 
and  good  humour. 

Gaudy  decorations  which  had  been  torn  away  by  the 
storm  were  cheerfully  replaced;  workmen  refurbished 
the  public  stands  and  the  Royal  box  in  the  Plaza ;  bands 
paraded  the  avenues  or  gave  concerts  in  Regengetz 
Circus ;  troops  of  mounted  soldiers  and  constabulary 
patroled  the  streets.  There  was  nothing  to  indicate  to 
the  municipality  that  the  vilest  conspiracy  of  the  age — 
of  any  age — was  grippin'g  its  tentacles  about  the  city  of 
Edelweiss,  the  smiling,  happy  city  of  mountain  and 
valley.  No  one  could  have  suspected  guile  in  the  laugh- 
ter  and  badinage  that  masked  the  manner  of  the  men 
who  were  there  to  spread  disaster  in  the  bunting-clad 
thoroughfares. 

"I  don't  hke  the  looks  of  things,"  said  Baron  Dan- 
gloss,  time  and  again.  His  men  were  never  so  alert  as 
to-day  and  never  so  deceived. 

"There  can't  be  trouble  of  any  sort,"  mused  Colonel 
Quinnox.  "These  fellows  are  ugly,  'tis  ti-ue,  but  they 
are  not  prepared  for  a  demonstration.  They  are  un- 
armed. What  could  they  do  against  the  troops,  even 
though  they  are  considerably  depleted?" 

"Colonel,  we'll  yet  see  the  day  when  Graustark  regrets 
the  economy  that  has  cut  our  little  army  to  almost 
nothing.  What  have  we  now,  all  told?  Three  hundred 
men  in  the  Royal  Guard.  Less  than  six  hundred  in  the 
fortress.  I  have  a  hundred  policemen.  There  you  are. 
To-day  there  are  nearly  two  hundred  soldiers  off  in  the 
mountains  on  nast}^  business  of  one  sort  or  another. 
*Gad,  if  these  ruffians  from  the  railroad  possessed  no 


THE  GIRL  IN  THE  RED  CLOAK        239 

more  than  pistols  they  could  give  us  a  merry  fight. 
There  must  be  a  thousand  of  them.  I  don't  hke  it. 
We'll  have  trouble  before  the  day's  over." 

"General  Braze  says  his  regulars  can  put  down  any 
sort  of  an  uprising  in  the  city,"  protested  Quinnox. 
"In  case  of  war,  you  know  we  have  the  twenty  thousand 
reserves,  half  of  whom  were  regulars  until  two  years 
ago." 

"Perfectly  true.  Quinnox,  it's  your  duty  to  take  care 
of  the  Prince.  You've  done  so  in  your  family  for  fifteen 
generations.  See  to  it  that  Prince  Robin  is  well  looked 
after  to-day,  that's  all." 

"Trust  me  for  that.  Baron,"  said  Quinnox  with  his 
truest  smile.  Even  Marlanx  knew  that  he  would  have 
to  kill  a  Quinnox  before  a  Graustark  ruler  could  be 
reached. 

By  eleven  o'clock  the  streets  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Plaza  were  packed  with  people.  All  along  Castle 
Avenue,  up  which  the  Prince  was  to  drive  in  the  coach 
of  State,  hung  the  proud,  adoring  burghers  and  their 
families:  like  geese  to  flock,  like  sheep  to  scatter.  At 
twelve  the  Castle  gates  were  to  be  thrown  open  for  the 
brilliant  cavalcade  that  was  to  pass  between  these  cheer- 
ing rows  of  people.  In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
afterward,  the  Prince  and  his  court,  the  noble  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  Graustark,  with  the  distinguished 
visitors  from  other  lands,  would  pass  into  the  great 
square  through  Regengetz  Circus. 

At  the  comer  below  the  crowded  Castle  Cafe,  in  the 
north  side  of  the  square,  which  was  now  patroled  by 
brilliant  dragoons,  two  men  met  and  exchanged  the 
compliments  of  the  da3^  One  of  them  had  just  come 
up  on  horseback.  He  dismounted,  leaving  the  animal  in 
charge  of  an  urchin  who  saw  a  gavvo  in  sight.     This 


240  TRUXTOX  KING 

man  was  young  and  rather  dashing  in  appearance.  The 
other  was  older  and  plainly  a  citizen  of  some  conse- 
quence. 

"Well?"  said  the  latter  impatiently,  after  they  had 
passed  the  time  of  day  for  the  benefit  of  the  nearest  on- 
lookers. The  younger  man,  slapping  his  riding  boot 
with  his  crop,  led  the  way  to  the  steps  of  a  house  across 
the  sidewalk.  Both  had  shot  a  swift,  wary  glance  at 
one  of  the  upper  windows. 

"Everything  is  ready.  There  will  be  no  hitch,"  said 
the  horseman  in  low  tones. 

"You  haye  seen  Spantz.^" 

"Sh!     No  names.     Yes.     The  girl  is  ready." 

"And  the  fortress.^" 

"Fifty  men  are  in  the  houses  opposite  and  others  will 
go  there — later  on." 

"We  must  keep  the  resen-es  out  of  the  fortress.  It 
would  mean  destruction  if  they  got  to  the  gun-rooms  and 
the  ammunition  houses." 

"Is  he  here?"  with  a  motion  toward  the  upper  window. 

"Yes.  He  came  disguised  as  an  old  market  woman, 
just  after  daybreak." 

"Well,  here's  his  horse,"  said  the  other,  "but  he'll  haye 
to  change  his  dress.  It  isn't  a  side  saddle."  The  young 
villain  laughed  silently. 

"Go  up  now  to  the  square,  Peter.  Your  place  is 
there." 

If  one  had  taken  the  time  to  observe,  he  might  have 
seen  that  the  young  man  wore  his  hat  well  forward,  and 
that  his  face  was  unnaturally  white.  We,  who  suspect 
him  of  being  Peter  Brutus,  have  reason  to  believe  that 
there  was  an  ugly  cut  on  the  top  of  his  head  and  that 
it  gave  him  exceeding  pain. 

Shortly  after  half  past  eleven  o'clock  certain  groups 


THE  GIRL  IN  THE  RED  CLOAK        241 

of  men  usurped  the  positions  in  front  of  certain  build- 
ings on  the  south  side  of  the  square.  A  score  here,  a 
half  score  there,  others  below  them.     They  favoured  the 

shops  operated  by  the  friends  of  the  Committee  of 
Ten ;  they  were  the  men  who  were  to  take  possession  of 
the  rifles  that  lay  hidden  behind  counters  and  walls. 
Here,  there,  everywhere,  all  about  the  city,  other  in- 
structed men  were  waiting  for  the  signal  that  was  to 
tell  them  to  hustle  deadly  firearms  from  the  beds  of 
green-laden  market  wagons.  It  was  all  arranged  with 
deadly  precision.  There  could  be  no  blunder.  The 
Iron  Count  and  his  deputies  had  seen  to  that. 

Men  were  stationed  in  the  proper  places  to  cut  all  tele- 
phone and  telegraph  wires  leading  out  of  the  citv. 
Others  were  designated  to  hold  the  gates  against  fugi- 
tives who  might  seek  to  reach  the  troops  in  the  hills. 

Marlanx's  insti-uctions  were  plain,  unmistakable.  Only 
soldiers  and  policemen  were  to  be  shot ;  mem.bers  of  the 
roval  household  were  already  doomed,  includino^  the 
ministry  and  the  nobles  who  rode  with  the  royal  car- 
riage. 

The  Committee  of  Ten  had  said  that  there  would  not 
be  another  ministry,  never  another  Graustark  nobihty ; 
only  the  Party  of  Equals.  The  Iron  Count  had  smiled 
to  himself  and  let  them  believe  all  that  they  preached 
in  secret  conclave.  But  he  knew  that  there  would  be 
another  ministry,  a  new  nobility  and  a  new  ruler,  and 
that  there  would  be  no  Committee  of  Ten! 

Two  thousand  crafty  mercenaries,  skilled  rioters  and 
fighters  from  all  parts  of  the  world  stood  ready  in  the 
glad  streets  of  Edelweiss  to  leap  as  one  man  to  the 
standard  of  the  Iron  Count  the  instant  he  appeared  in 
the  square  after  the  throwing  of  the  bomb.  A  well- 
organised,   carefully   instructed  army   of  no  mean  di= 


242  TRUXTOX  KING 

mensions,  in  the  uniform  of  the  lout  and  vagabond,  would 
rise  like  a  flash  of  light  before  the  dazzled,  panic- 
stricken  populace,  and  Marlanx  would  be  master.  With- 
out the  call  of  drum  or  bugle  his  sinister  soldiers  of 
fortune  would  leap  into  positions  assigned  them ;  in  or- 
derh",  determined  company  front,  led  by  chosen  officers, 
the}'  would  sweep  the  square,  the  Circus  and  the  avenues, 
up-town  to  the  Castle,  down-town  to  the  fortress  and 
the  railway  station,  everywhere  establishing  the  pennant 
of  the  man  who  had  been  b  tnished. 

The  present  dynasty  was  to  end  at  one  o'clock!  So 
said  Marlanx !  How  could  Dangloss  or  Braze  or  Quin- 
nox  say  him  nay?  They  would  be  dead  or  in  irons 
before  the  first  shock  of  disaster  had  ceased  to  thrill. 
The  others.''  Pah!  They  were  as  chaff  to  the  Iron 
Count. 

The  calm  that  precedes  the  storm  fell  upon  the  waiting 
throng;  an  ominous  silence  spread  from  one  end  of  the 
avenue  to  the  other.  For  a  second  only  it  lasted.  The 
hush  of  death  could  not  have  been  quieter  nor  more 
impressive.  Even  as  people  looked  at  each  other  in 
wonder,  the  tumult  came  to  its  own  again.  Afterward 
a  whole  populace  was  to  recall  this  strange,  depressing 
second  of  utter  stillness ;  to  the  end  of  time  that  sudden 
pall  was  spoken  of  with  bated  breath  and  in  awe. 

Then,  from  the  distant  Castle  came  the  sound  of 
shouts,  crawling  up  the  long  line  of  spectators  for  the- 
full  length  of  the  avenue  to  the  eager  thrbng  in  Regen- 
getz  Circus,  swelling  and  growing  louder  as  the  news 
came  that  the  Prince  had  ridden  forth  from  the  gates. 
Necks  were  craned,  rapt  eyes  peered  down  the  tree- 
topped  boulevard,  glad  voices  cried  out  tidings  to  those 
in  the  background.     The  Prince  was  coming! 

Bonnv,  adorable  Prince  Robin ! 


THE  GIRL  IX  THE  RED  CLOAK        2i3 

Down  the  broad  avenue  came  the  Royal  Military  Band, 
heading  the  brilliant  procession.  Banners  were  flying; 
gold  and  silver  standards  gleamed  in  the  van  of  the 
noble  cavalcade;  brilliantly  uniformed  cuirassiers  and 
dragoons  on  gaily  caparisoned  horses  formed  a  gilded 
phalanx  that  filled  the  distant  end  of  the  street,  slowly 
creeping  down  upon  the  waiting  thousands,  drawing 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  spot  of  doom. 

A  stately,  noble,  inspiring  procession  it  was  that  swept 
toward  the  Plaza.  The  love  of  the  people  for  their 
little  Prince  welled  up  and  overflowed  in  great  waves  of 
acclamation.  Pomp  and  display,  gold  and  fine  raiment 
were  but  the  creation  of  man  ;  Prince  Robin  was,  to  them, 
the  choicest  creation  of  God.     He  was  their  Prince ! 

On  cam^e  the  splendid  phalanx  of  guardsmen,  followed 
by  rigid  infantrymen  in  measured  tread;  the  clattering 
of  horses'  hoofs,  the  beat  of  drums,  the  clanking  of 
scabbards  and  the  jangling  of  royal  banners,  rising 
even  above  the  hum  of  eager  voices.  The  great  coach 
of  gold,  with  its  half  score  of  horses,  rolled  sombrely  be- 
neath nature's  canopy  of  green,  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  proud  members  of  the  Royal  Guard.  Word  came 
down  the  line  that  the  Prince  sat  alone  in  the  rear  seat  of 
the  great  coach,  facing  the  Prime  ^Minister  and  Countess 
Halfont.  Two  carriages  from  the  royal  stables  pre- 
ceded the  Prince's  coach.  In  the  first  was  the  Duke  of 
Perse  and  three  fellow-members  of  the  'Cabinet;  the 
second  contained  Baron  Dangloss  and  General  Braze. 
After  the  Prince  came  a  score  or  more  of  rich  equipages 
filled  with  the  beauty,  the  nobility,  the  splendour  of  this 
rich  little  court. 

The  curtains  in  a  house  at  the  corner  of  the  square 
parted  gently.  A  hawk-faced  old  man  peered  out  upon 
the  joyous  crowd.     His  black  eyes  swept  the  scene.     A 


^U  TRUXTON  KIXG 

grim  smile  crept  into  his  face.  He  dropped  the  cur- 
tains and  walked  away  from  the  window,  tossing  a 
cigarette  into  a  grate  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room. 
Then  he  looked  at  his  watch. 

All  of  the  bands  in  the  square  had  ceased  playing  when 
the  Castle  gates  were  opened  for  the  royal  procession: 
only  the  distant,  rj^thmic  beat  of  a  lively  march  came  up 
from  the  avenue  to  the  ears  of  this  baleful  old  man  in 
the  second-story  front  room  of  the  home  of  apothecary 
Boltz. 

At  the  extreme  outer  side  of  Regengetz  Circus  a  small 
group  of  men  and  women  stood,  white-faced  and  im- 
.!novable,  steadfastly  holding  a  position  in  the  front 
rank  of  spectators.  Shrinking  back  among  this  de- 
termined coterie  was  the  slender,  shuddering  figure  of 
Olga  Platanova,  haggard-faced,  but  with  the  light  of 
desperation  in  her  eyes. 

As  the  procession  drew  nearer,  the  companions  of  this 
wretched  girl  slunk  avray  from  her  side,  losing  them- 
selves in  the  crowd,  leaving  her  to  do  her  work  while  they 
sought  distant  spots  of  safety.  Olga  Platanova,  her 
arms  folded  beneath  the  long  red  cloak  she  wore,  re- 
mained where  they  had  placed  her  and — waited ! 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  MERRY  VAGABOND 

The  man  who  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  freight-car, 
looking  down  in  wonder  at  the  fugitives,  was  a  tall 
vagabond  of  the  most  picturesque  type.  Xo  ragamuffin 
was  ever  so  tattered  and  torn  as  this  rakish  individual. 
His  clothes  barely  hung  together  on  his  lank  frame ;  he 
was  barefoot  and  hatiess ;  a  great  mop  of  black  hair 
topped  his  shrewd,  rugged  face ;  coal-black  eyes  snapped 
and  twinkled  beneath  shaggy  brows  and  a  delighted- 
knowing  grin  spread  slowly  over  his  rather  boyish  coun^^ 
tenance.  He  was  not  a  creature  to  strike  terror  to  th& 
heart  of  any  one;  on  the  contrary,  his  mischievous, 
sprightly  face  produced  an  impression  of  genuine  good 
humour  and  absolute  indifference  to  the  harsh  things 
of  life. 

Long,  thin  lips  curled  into  a  smile  of  delicious  regard ; 
his  sides  shook  with  the  quiet  chuckle  of  understanding. 
He  did  not  lose  his  smile,  even  when  the  match  burned 
his  finger  tips  and  fell  to  the  floor  of  the  car.  Instead, 
the  grin  was  broader  when  he  struck  the  second  match 
and  resumed  his  amused  scrutiny  of  his  fellow-lodgers. 
^^This  time  he  practised  thrift:  he  lighted  a  cigarette 
with  the  match  before  tossing  it  aside.  Then  he  softly 
slid  the  car  door  back  in  its  groove  and  looked  out  into 
the  moist,  impenetrable  night.  A  deep  sigh  left  his 
smiling  lips;  a  retrospective  langour  took  possession 
of  his  long  frame ;  he  sighed  again,  and  still  he  smiled. 
Leaning  against  the  side  of  the  door  this  genial  gypsy 
smoked  in  blissful  silence  until  the  stub  grew  so  short 
that  it  burned  his  already  singed  fingers.    He  was  think- 


246  TRUXTON  KING 

ing  of  other  days  and  nights,  and  of  many  maids  in  far* 
off  lands,  and  of  countless  journeys  in  which  he,  too, 
had  had  fair  and  gentle  company — short  journeys,  yes, 
but  not  to  be  forgotten.  Ah,  to  be  knight  of  the  road 
and  everlasting  squire  to  the  Goddess  of  Love!  He 
always  had  been  that — ever  since  he  could  remember; 
he  had  loved  a  hundred  briefly ;  none  over  long.  It  was 
the  only  way. 

Once  more  he  turned  to  look  upon  the  sleeping  pair. 
This  time  he  lighted  the  stub  of  a  tallow  candle.  The 
tender,  winning  smile  in  his  dark  eyes  grew  to  positive 
radiance.  Ah,  how  he  envied  this  great,  sleeping  way- 
farer !  How  beautiful  his  mistress  !  How  fortunate  the 
lover!  And  how  they  slept — how  tired  they  were! 
Whence  had  they  come?  From  what  distant  land  had 
they  travelled  together  to  reach  this  holiday-garnished 
city  in  the  hills.?  Vagabonds,  tramps!  They  were  of 
his  world,  a  part  of  his  family ;  he  knew  and  had  loved 
a  hundred  of  her  sisters,  he  was  one  of  a  hundred-thou- 
sand brothers  to  this  man. 

Why  should  he  stay  here  to  spoil  their  waking  hour? 
The  thought  came  to  him  suddenly.  No ;  he  would 
surrender  his  apartment  to  them.  He  was  free  and 
foot-loose;  he  could  go  elsewhere.  He  xcould  go  else- 
where. 

Softly  he  tip-toed  to  his  own  corner  of  the  car,  looking 
over  his  shoulder  with  anxious  eyes  to  see  that  his  move- 
ments did  not  disturb  them.  He  gathered  up  his  be- 
longings: an  ancient  violin  case,  a  stout  walking  stick, 
a  goodly  sized  pack  done  up  in  gaudy  cloth,  a  well- 
worn  pair  of  sandals  with  long,  frayed  lacings.  As 
gently  he  stole  back  to  the  door.  Here  he  sat  down, 
with  his  feet  hanging  outside  the  car.  Then,  with  many 
a  sly,  wary  glance  at  his  good  comrades,  he  put  on  his 


THE   :\IERRY   VAGABOND  2^7 

sandals  and  laced  them  up  the  leg.  He  tossed  a  kiss  to 
the  sleeping  girl,  his  dark  gypsy  face  aglow  with  ad- 
miration and  mischief,  and  was  about  to  blow  out  the 
light  of  his  candle.  Then  he  changed  his  mind.  He 
arose  and  stood  over  them  again,  looking  long  and 
solemnly  at  the  face  of  the  sleeping  girl.  Ah,  yes,  she 
■was  the  most  beautiful  he  had  ever  seen — the  very 
fairest.  He  had  known  her  sisters,  but — no.  thev  were 
not  like  this  one.  With  a  sly  grimace  of  envy  he  shook 
his  fist  at  the  tall  man  whose  leg  served  as  a  pillow  for 
the  tired  head. 

The  girl  looked  wan  and  tired — and  hungry.  Poor 
thing!  Never  had  he  seen  one  so  sweet  and  lovely  as 
she ;  never  had  he  seen  such  a  shockingly  muddy  mackin- 
tosh, however,  as  the  one  she  wore,  never  were  hands  so 
dirty  as  the  slender  ones  which  lay  limp  before  her. 
With  a  determined  shake  of  his  head  and  a  new  flash  of 
the  '?ye  he  calmly  seated  himself  and  began  to  open  his 
ragged  pack.  Once  he  paused,  a  startled  look  in  his 
face.  He  caught  sight  of  the  revolver  at  Truxton's  side 
for  the  first  time.  The  instant  of  alarm  passed  and  a 
braver  smile  than  ever  came.  Ah,  here  was  a  knight 
who  would  fight  for  his  lady  love  !    Good  fellow  !  Bravo ! 

At  last  his  small  store  of  food  lay  exposed.  Without 
hesitation  he  divided  the  pieces  of  smoked  venison,  giv- 
ing one  part  to  himself,  two  to  the  sleepers  ;  then  the 
niller's  bread  and  the  cheese,  and  the  bag  of  dates  he 

ad  bought  the  day  before.  He  tied  up  his  own  slender 
portion  and  would  have  whistled  for  the  joy  of  it  ail 
had  he  not  bethought  himself  in  time. 

From  one  of  his  pockets  he  drew  out  tobacco  and 
cigarette  papers.  With  his  back  planted  up  against 
the  wall  of  the  car,  his  legs  crossed  and  his  feet  wiggling 
time  to  the  inward  tune  he  sang,  he  calmly  rolled  half 


248  TRUXTON  KING 

a  dozen  cigarettes  and  placed  them,  one  by  one,  beside 
the  feast.  One  match  from  his  thin  supply  he  placed 
alongside  the  cigarettes.  Then  he  looked  very  doubt- 
ful. No ;  one  might  blow  out.  He  must  not  be  nig- 
gardly. So  he  kept  two  for  himself  and  gave  three  to 
the  guest  at  his  banquet. 

Again  he  blew  a  kiss  to  the  prettiest  girl  he  had  ever 
seen.  Snuffing  his  candle,  he  dropped  to  the  ground  and 
closed  the  door  against  all  spying,  uncivil  eyes. 

The  first  grey  of  dawn  was  growing  in  the  sombre  east. 
He  looked  out  over  the  tops  of  cars  and  sniffed  the  air. 
The  rain  was  over.  He  knew.  A  tinge  of  red  that  none 
but  the  gypsy  could  have  distinguished  betrayed  the  ap- 
proach of  a  sunny  day.  Jauntily  he  swung  off  down 
the  path  between  the  lines  of  cars,  his  fickle  mind  waver- 
ing between  the  joys  of  the  coming  day  and  the  memory 
of  the  loveliest  Romany  he  had  ever  encountered. 

Daybreak  found  him  at  the  wharf  gates.  It  was 
gloomy  here  and  silent ;  the  city  above  looked  asleep  and 
unfruitful.  His  heart  was  gay ;  he  longed  for  company. 
Whimsical,  careless  hearted,  he  always  obeyed  the  im- 
pulse that  struck  him  first.  As  he  stood  there,  survey- 
ing the  wet,  deserted  wharf,  it  came  to  him  suddenly  that 
if  he  went  back  and  played  one  soft  love-song  before  the 
door  of  the  car,  they  might  invite  him  to  join  them  in 
the  breakfast  that  the  genie  had  brought. 

His  long  legs  were  swift.  In  five  minutes  he  was  half 
way  down  the  line  of  cars,  at  the  extreme  end  of  which 
stood  the  happy  lodging  place  of  his  heart's  desire. 
Then  he  paused,  a  dubious  frown  between  his  eyes.  No ! 
he  said,  slapping  his  own  cheek  soundly ;  it  would  not 
be  fair!  He  would  not  disturb  them,  not  he!  How- 
could  he  have  thought  of  such  a  thing.  Le  hon  Dieul 
Never !    He  would  breakfast  alone ! 


THE   MERRY  VAGABOND  249 

Coming  to  an  empty  flat  car,  direct  from  the  quarries, 
he  resolutely  seated  himself  upon  its  edge,  and,  with 
amiable  resignation,  set  about  devouring  his  early  meal, 
all  the  while  casting  longing,  almost  appeaJing  glances 
toward  the  next  car  but  one.  Busy  little  switch  engines 
began  chugging  about  the  yards ;  the  railroad,  at  least, 
was  exhibiting  some  signs  of  life.  Here  and  there  the 
crews  were  "snaking"  out  sections  and  bumping  them 
off  to  other  parts  of  the  gridiron ;  a  car  here,  a  car  there 
— all  aflcunder,  but  quite  simple  to  this  merry  wanderer. 
He  knew  all  about  switching,  he  did.  It  did  not 
cause  him  the  least  uneasiness  when  a  sudden  jar  told 
him  that  an  engine  had  been  attached  to  the  distant  end 
of  the  string  in  which  he  breakfasted.  Nor  was  he 
disturbed  when  the  cars  began  to  move.  What  cared  he.'* 
He  would  ride  in  his  dining-car  to  the  objective  switch, 
wherever  that  was,  and  no  doubt  would  find  himself 
nearer  the  main  freight  depot,  with  little  or  no  walking 
to  do  on  his  jouraej^  to  the  square. 

But  the  "string"  was  not  bound  for  another  track  in 
the  yards ;  it  was  on  its  way  to  the  main  line,  thence  off 
through  the  winding  valle}^  into  strange  and  distant 
lands. 

Sir  Vagabond,  blissfully  swinging  his  heels  and  munch- 
ing his  venison,  smiled  amiably  upon  the  yard  men  as  he 
passed  them  by.  So  genial  was  the  smile,  so  frank  the 
salutation,  that  not  one  scowled  back  at  him  or  hurled 
the  chunk  of  coal  that  bespeaks  a  surly  temper.  Down 
through  the  maze  of  sidetracks  whisked  the  little  train, 
out  upon  the  main  Hne  with  a  thin  shriek  of  greeting, 
past  the  freight  houses — it  was  then  that  Sir  A^aga- 
bond  sat  up  very  straight,  a  look  of  mild  interest  in  his 
eyes.  Interest  gave  way  to  perplexity,  perplexity  to 
concern.     \Miat's  this.'*     Leaving"  the  city.'*     He  wasted 


250  TRUXTON   KING 

no  time.  This  would  never  do !  Clutching  his  belong- 
ings to  his  side,  he  vaulted  from  one  hand,  nimbly  and 
with  the  gracefulness  of  wide  experience,  landing  safeljr 
on  his  feet  at  the  roadside. 

There  he  stood  with  the  wry,  dazed  look  of  a  man  who 
suddenly  finds  himself  guilty  of  arrant  stupidity,  watch- 
ing the  cars  whiz  past  on  their  way  to  the  open  country. 
Just  ahead  was  the  breach  in  the  wall  through  which  all 
trains  entered  or  left  the  city.  Into  that  breach  shot 
the  train,  going  faster  and  faster  as  it  saw  the  straight, 
clear  track  beyond.  He  waited  until  the  tail  end 
whisked  itself  out  of  sight  in  the  cut  below  the  city  walls, 
and  then  trudged  slowly,  dejectedly  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection, his  heart  in  his  boots.  He  was  thinking  of  the 
luckless  pair  in  the  empty  "box." 

Suddenly  he  stopped,  his  chin  up,  his  hands  to  his 
sides.  A  hearty  peal  of  laughter  soared  from  his  lips. 
He  was  regarding  the  funny  side  of  the  situation.  The 
joke  was  on  them!  It  was  rich!  The  more  he  thought 
of  their  astonishment  on  awaking,  the  more  he  laughed. 
He  leaned  against  a  car. 

His  immense  levity  attracted  attention.  Four  or  five 
men  approached  him  from  the  shadows  of  the  freight 
houses,  ugly,  unsmiling  fellows.  They  demanded  of  him 
the  cause  of  his  unseemly  mirth.  With  tears  in  his 
merry  black  eyes  he  related  the  plight  of  the  pretty 
slumberers,  dwelling  more  or  less  sentimentally  on  the 
tender  beauty  of  the  maiden  fair.  They  plied  him  with 
questions.  He  described  the  couple — even  glowingly. 
Then  the  sinister  fellows  smiled;  more  than  that,  they 
clapped  each  other  on  the  back  and  swore  splendidly. 
He  was  amazed  and  his  own  good  humour  gave  way  to 
fierce  resentment.  What  right  had  these  ruffians  to 
laugh  at  the  misfortunes  of  that  unhappy  maid? 


THE   MERRY   VAGABOND  251 

A  switchman  came  up,  and  one  of  the  men,  a  lank 
American  whom  we  should  recognise  by  the  sound  of 
his  voice  (having  heard  it  before),  asked  whither  the 
train  was  bound  and  when  it  would  first  stop  in  its 
flight. 

"At  the  Poo  quarries,  seventeen  kilometers  down  the 
line.  They  cut  out  a  few  empties  there.  She  goes  on 
to  the  division  point  after  that." 

"Any  trains  up  from  that  direction  this  morning.?" 
demanded  "Newport." 

"Not  till  this  afternoon.  Most  of  the  crews  are  in  the 
city  for  the — "  But  the  switchman  had  no  listeners 
beyond  that  statement. 

And  so  it  was  that  the  news  spread  over  town  at  five 
o'clock  that  Truxton  King  was  where  he  could  do  no 
harm.  It  was  well  known  that  the  train  would  make 
forty  miles  an  hour  down  the  steep  grade  into  the  lower 
valley. 

Up  into  the  cit}-  strolled  Sir  Vagabond,  his  fiddle  in 
his  hand,  his  heart  again  as  light  as  a  feather.  Some 
day — ah,  some  day !  he  would  see  her  again  on  the  road. 
It  was  always  the  way.  Then  he  would  tell  her  how 
unhappy  he  had  been — for  a  minute.  She  was  so  pretty, 
so  very  pretty!  He  sighed  profoundly.  We  see  n9 
more  of  him. 

When  Truxton  King  first  awoke  to  the  fact  that  they 
were  no  longer  lying  motionless  in  the  dreary  yards, 
he  leaped  to  his  feet  with  a  startled  shout  of  alarm. 
Loraine  sat  up,  blinking  her  eyes  in  half-conscious  won- 
der. It  was  broad  daylight,  of  course ;  the  train  was 
rattling  through  the  long  cut  just  below  the  city  walls. 
With  frantic  energy  he  pulled  open  the  door.  For  a 
minute  he  stared  at  the  scudding  walls  of  stone  so  close 
at   hand,   uncomprehendingl3^      Then   the   truth   burst 


252  TRUXTON  KING 

upon  him  with  the  force  of  a  mighty  blow.  He  stag- 
gered back,  his  jaw  dropping,  his  eyes  glaring. 

"What  the  dev —  Great  God,  Loraine !  We're  going ! 
We're  moving!"  he  cried  hoarsely. 

"I  know  it,"  she  gasped,  her  body  rocking  violently 
with  the  swaying  of  the  wild,  top-heavy  little  car. 

"Great  Scott!  How  we're  pounding  it!  Fifty  miles 
an  hour.  Where  are  we.^"  he  cried,  aghast.  He  could 
scarcely  keep  his  feet,  so  terrific  was  the  speed  and  so 
sickening  the  motion. 

She  got  to  her  feet  and  lurched  to  his  side.  "Don't  fall 
out !"  she  almost  shrieked.  He  drew  back  with  her.  To- 
gether they  swa3^ed  like  reeds  in  a  windstorm,  staring 
dizzily  at  the  wall  before  them. 

Suddenly  the  train  shot  out  into  the  open,  farm-spat- 
tered valley.     Truxton  fell  back  dumbfounded. 

"The  country!"  he  exclaimed.  "We've  been  carried 
away.  I — I  can't  believe  my  senses.  Could  we  have 
slept — what  a  fool,  what  an  idiot !  God  in  heaven !  The 
Prince!  He  is  lost!"  He  was  beside  himself  with 
anguish  and  despair,  raging  like  a  madman,  cursing 
himself  for  a  fool,  a  dog,  a  murderer! 

Little  less  distressed  than  her  companion, Loraine  Tullis 
still  had  the  good  sense  to  keep  him  from  leaping  from 
the  car.  He  had  shouted  to  her  that  he  must  get  back  to 
the  city;  she  could  go  on  to  the  next  town  and  find  a 
hiding  place.  He  would  come  to  her  as  soon  as  he  had 
given  the  alarm. 

"You  would  be  killed,"  she  cried,  clutching  his  arm 
fiercely.  "You  never  can  jump,  Truxton.  See  how  we 
are  running.  If  you  jump,  I  shall  follow.  I  won't  go 
on  alone.     I  am  as  much  to  blame  as  you." 

The  big,  strong  fellow  broke  down  and  cried,  utterly 
disheartened. 


THE   MERRY  VAGABOND  253 

"Don't  cry,  Truxton,  please  don't  cry!"  she  pleaded. 
"Something  will  happen.  We  must  stop  sometime. 
Then  we  can  get  another  train  back,  or  telegraph,  or 
hire  a  wagon.  It  must  be  very  early.  The  sun  is 
scarcely  up.     Do  be  brave !    Don't  give  up  1" 

He  squared  his  shoulders.  "You  put  me  to  shame !"  he 
cried  abjectly.  "I'm — I'm  unnerved,  that's  all.  It  was 
too  much  of  a  blow.  After  we'd  got  away  from  those 
scoundrels  so  neatly,  too.  Oh,  it's  maddening!  I'll  be 
all  right  in  a  minute.     You  plucky,  pluck}'  darling !" 

The  train  whirled  through  a  small  hamlet  without  even 
slackening  its  speed.  Truxton  endeavoured  to  shout  a 
warning  to  two  men  who  stood  by  the  gates  :  but  they 
merely  laughed,  not  comprehending.  Then  he  under- 
took to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  engineer.  He  leaned 
from  the  door  and  shouted.  The  effort  was  futile,  al- 
most disastrous.  A  lurch  came  near  to  hurling  him  to 
the  rocky  road  bed.  Now  and  then  they  passed  farmers 
on  the  high  road  far  above,  bound  for  the  city.  The}' 
called  out  to  them,  but  the  cries  were  in  vain.  With  every 
minute  they  were  running  farther  and  farther  away 
from  the  cit}'  of  Edelweiss ;  every  mile  was  adding  to  the 
certainty  of  the  doom  which  hung  over  the  little  Prince 
and  his  people. 

A  second  small  station  flew  by.  "Ronn:  seven  kilo- 
meters to  Edelweiss."    He  looked  at  her  in  despair. 

"We're  going  faster  and  faster,"  he  grated.  "This  is 
the  fastest  train  in  the  world,  Loraine,  bar  none." 

Just  then  his  gaze  alighted  on  the  pathetic  breakfast 
and  the  wandering  cigarettes.  He  stared  as  if  hypno- 
tised. Was  he  going  mad.^  An  instant  later  he  was  on 
his  hands  and  knees,  examining  the  mysterious  feast. 
She  joined  him  at  once;  no  two  faces  ever  before  were 
so  puzzled  and  perplexed. 


1254  TRUXTON  KING 

"Bj  heaven !"  he  exclaimed,  drawing  her  away  from 
the  spot  in  quick  alarm,  comprehension  flooding  his 
brain.  "1  see  it  all !  We've  been  deliberately  shang- 
haied! We've  been  bottled  up  here,  drugged,  perhaps, 
and  shipped  out  of  town  by  fast  freight — no  destination. 
Don't  touch  that  stuff!  It's  probably  full  of  poison. 
Great  Scott !  What  a  clever  gang  they  are !  And  what 
a  blithering  idiot  they  have  in  me  to  deal  with.  Oh, 
how  easy!" 

Whereupon  he  proceeded  to  kick  the  unoffending 
breakfast,  cigarettes  and  all,  out  of  the  car  door.  To 
their  dying  day  they  were  to  believe  that  the  food  had 
been  put  there  by  agents  of  the  great  conspirator.  It 
readily  may  be  surmised  that  neither  of  them  was  given 
to  sensible  deductions  during  their  astounding  flight. 
If  they  had  thought  twice,  they  might  have  seen  the 
folly  of  their  quick  conclusions.  Mariana's  men  would 
not  have  sent  Loraine  off  in  a  manner  like  this.  But  the 
distracted  pair  were  not  in  an  analytical  frame  of  mind 
just  then;  that  is  why  the  gentle  munificence  of  Sir 
Vagabond  came  to  a  barren  waste. 

Mile  after  mile  flew^  by.  The  unwilling  travellers,  de- 
pressed beyond  description,  had  given  up  all  hope  of 
leaving  the  car  until  it  reached  the  point  intended  by 
the  wily  plotters.  To  their  amazement,  however,  the 
speed  began  to  slacken  perceptibly^  after  they  had  left 
the  city  ten  or  twelve  miles  behind.  Truxton  was  lean- 
ing against  the  side  of  the  door,  gloomily  surveying  the 
bright,  green  landscape.  For  some  time  Loraine  had 
been  steadying  herself  by  clinging  to  his  arm.  They  had 
cast  off  the  unsightly  rain  coats  and  other  clumsy  ar- 
ticles. Once,  through  sheer  inability  to  control  his  im- 
pulses, he  had  placed  his  arm  about  her  slim  waist,  but 
she  had  gently   freed  herself.      Her   look   of   reproach 


THE   MERRY   VAGABOND  ^55 

was  sufficient  to  check  all  future  impulses  of  a  like 
nature. 

"Hello !"  said  he,  coming  out  of  his  bitter  dream. 
"We're  slowing  up."  He  looked  out  and  ahead.  "No 
station  is  in  sight.  There's  a  bridge  down  the  road  a 
bit — ^yes,  there's  our  same  old  river.  By  George !"  His 
face  was  a  study. 

"What  is  it.f^"  she  cried,  struck  by  his  sudden  energy 
of  speech. 

"They're  running  slow  for  the  bridge.  Afraid  of  the 
floods.  D'ye  see?  If  they  creep  up  to  it  as  they  do 
in  the  United  States  when  they're  cautious,  we'll  politely 
drop  off  and —  'Pon  my  soul,  she's  coming  down  to  a 
snail's  pace  We  can  swing  off,  Loraine.  Now's  our 
chance !" 

The  traiii  was  barely  creeping  up  to  the  bridge.  He 
clasped  her  in  the  strong  crook  of  his  left  arm,  slid 
down  to  a  sitting  position,  and  boldly  pushed  himself 
clear  of  the  car,  landing  on  his  feet.  Staggering  for- 
ward with  the  impetus  he  had  received,  he  would  have 
fallen  except  for  a  mighty  effort.  A  sharp  groan 
escaped  his  lips  as  he  lowered  her  to  the  ground.  She 
locked  anxioush^  into  his  face  and  saw  nothing  there 
but  relief. 

The  cars  rumbled  across  the  bridge,  picked  up  speed 
beyond,  and  thundered  off  in  the  distance  with  never  so 
much  as  a  thought  of  the  two  who  stood  beside  the 
track  and  laughed  hysterically. 

"Come  along,"  said  the  man  briefly.  "We  must  try 
to  reach  that  station  back  there.  There  I  can  telegraph 
in.  Oh !"  His  first  attempt  to  walk  brought  out  a 
groan  of  pain. 

He  had  turned  his  ankle  in  the  leap  to  the  ground.  She 
was  deeply  concerned,  but  he  sought  to  laugh  it  off. 


256  TRUXTON  KING 

Gritting  his  teeth  determined!}^,  he  led  the  way  back 
along  the  track. 

"Lean  on  me,"  she  cried  despairingly. 

"Nonsense,"  he  said  with  grim  stubbornness.  "I  don't 
mind  the  pain.  We  can't  stop  for  a  sprained  ankle. 
It's  an  old  one  I  got  playing  football.  We  may  have  to 
go  a  little  slow,  but  we'll  not  stop,  my  dear — not  till 
we  get  word  to  Dangloss !" 

She  found  a  long,  heavy  stick  for  him ;  thereafter  he 
hobbled  with  greater  speed  and  less  pain.  At  a  wagon- 
road  crossing  they  paused  to  rest,  having  covered  two 
miles.  The  strain  was  telling  on  him ;  perspiration  stood 
out  in  great  drops  upon  his  brow;  he  was  beginning  to 
despair.  Her  little  cry  of  joy  caused  him  to  look  up 
from  the  swollen  ankle  which  he  was  regarding  with 
dubious  concern.  An  oxcart  was  approaching  from  the 
west. 

"A  ride!"  she  cried  joyously.  She  had  been  ready  to 
drop  with  fatigue ;  her  knees  were  shaking.  His  first 
exclamation  of  joy  died  away  in  a  groan  of  dismay.  He 
laughed  bitterly. 

"That  thing  couldn't  get  us  anywhere  in  a  week,"  he 
said. 

"But  it  will  help,"  she  cried  brightl}^  an  optimist  by 
force  of  necessity. 

They  stopped  the  cart  and  bargained  for  a  ride  to 
Ronn.  The  man  was  a  farmer,  slow  and  suspicious. 
He  haggled. 

"Tlie  countr3''s  full  of  evil  men  and  women  these  days," 
he  demurred.  "Besides  I  have  a  heavy  enough  load  as 
it  is  for  my  poor  beasts." 

Miss  Tullis  conducted  the  negotiations,  making  the 
best  of  her  year's  acquaintance  with  the  language  of  the 
country. 


THE   MERRY   VAGABOND  257 

"Don't  tell  him  why  we  are  in  such  a  hurry,"  cau- 
tioned King.    "He  may  be  a  Marlanx  sympathiser." 

"You  have  nothing  in  your  cart  but  melons,"  she  said 
to  the  farmer,  peeping  under  the  comer  of  the  canvas 
covering. 

"I  am  not  going  through  Ronn,  but  by  the  high  road 
to  Edelweiss,"  he  protested.     "A  good  ten  kilometers." 
''   "Sut  carry  us  until  we  come  up  with  some  one  wlio  can 
give  us  horses." 

"Horses !"  he  croaked.  "Every  horse  in  the  valley  is 
in  Edelweiss  by  this  time.  This  is  the  great  day  there. 
The  statue  of-^^ " 

"Yes,  3^es,  I  know.  We  are  bound  for  Edelweiss.  Can 
you  get  us  there  in  two  hours.''" 

"With  these  beasts,  poor  things.^     Never!" 

"It  will  be  worth  your  while.  A  hundred  ga-v^'os  if 
you  carry  us  to  a  place  where  we  can  secure  quicker 
transportation." 

In  time  she  won  him  over.  He  agreed  to  carry  them 
along  the  way,  at  his  best  speed,  until  they  came  up  with 
better  beasts  or  reached  the  city  gates.  It  was  the  best 
he  could  do.  The  country  was  practically  deserted  on 
this  day.  At  best  there  were  but  few  horses  in  the 
valley ;  mostly  oxen.  They  cHmbed  up  to  the  seat  and 
the  tortuous  journey  began.  The  farmer  trotted  be- 
side the  wheel  nearly  all  of  the  way,  descanting  warmly 
in  painful  English  on  the  present  condition  of  things  in 
the  hilLs. 

"The  rascals  have  made  way  with  the  beautiful  Miss 
Tullis.  She  is  the  American  lady  stopping  at  the 
Castle.  You  should  see  her,  sir.  Excepting  our  dear 
Princess  Yetive — God  rest  her  soul — she  is  the  most 
beautiful  creature  Graustark  has  ever  seen.  I  have  seen 
her  often.     Not  quite  so  grand  as  the  Countess  Ingo- 


«58  TRUXTON  KING 

mede,  but  fairer,  believe  me.  She  is  beloved  by  everyonCc 
Many  a  kind  and  generous  word  has  she  spoken  to  me. 
My  onion  beds  are  well  known  to  her.  She  has  come  to 
my  farm  time  and  again,  sir,  with  the  noble  personages, 
while  riding,  and  she  has  in  secret  bought  ni}^  little  slips 
of  onions.  She  has  said  to  me  that  she  adores  thorn, 
but  that  she  can  only  eat  themi  in  secret.  Ah,  sir,  it 
is  a  sad  day  for  Graustark  that  evil  has  happend  to  her. 
Her  brother,  they  say,  is  off  in  the  Dawsbergen  hills 
searching  for  her.     He  is  a  grand  man." 

His  passengers  were  duly  interested.  She  nudged  the 
lugubrious  Truxton  when  the  man  spoke  of  the  onions. 
"What  a  fibber !    I  hate  onions." 

"She  is  to  be  married  to  the  Count  Vos  Engo ;  a  fine 
lad,  sir.  Now  she  is  gone,  I  don't  know  what  he  will 
do.  Suicide,  mayhap.  Many  is  the  time  I  have  cau- 
tioned her  not  to  ride  in  the  hills  without  a  strong 
guard.     These  bandits  are  getting  very  bold." 

"Do  you  know  the  great  Count  Marlanx?"  demanded 
King,  possessed  of  a  sudden  thought.  The  man  faced 
him  at  the  mention  of  the  name,  a  suspicious  gleam  in 
his  eyes. 

"Count  Marlanx !"  he  snorted.  Without  another  word, 
he  drew  the  beasts  to  a  standstill.  There  was  no  mis- 
taking the  angry  scowl.  "Are  you  friends  of  that 
snake?    If  you  are,  get  out  of  my  cart." 

"He's  all  right,"  cried  Truxton.  "Tell  him  who  W6 
are,  Loraine,  and  why  we  must  get  to  the  city." 

Five  minutes  later,  the  farmer,  overcome  by  the  stu- 
pendous news,  was  lashing  his  oxen  with  might  and  main  ; 
the  astonished  beasts  tore  down  the  road  to  Ronn  so 
bravely  that  there  seemed  some  prospect  of  getting  a 
telegram  through  in  time.  All  the  way  the  excited 
countryman  groaned  and  swore  and  sputtered  his  pray- 


THE   MERRY  VAGABOND  258 

ers.  At  Ronn  thej  learned  that  the  operator  had  been 
unable  to  call  Edelweiss  since  seven  o'clock.  The  wires 
were  down  or  had  been  cut.  Truxton  left  a  message 
to  be  sent  to  Dangloss  in  case  he  could  get  the  wire,  and 
off  they  started  again  for  the  cit}'  gates,  having  lost 
considerable  time  by  the  diverted  mile  or  two. 

Not  man,  woman  or  child  did  they  encounter  as  the 
miles  crept  by.  The  countr}'  was  barren  of  humanity. 
Ahead  of  them  was  the  ascent  to  be  conquered  by  oxen 
so  old  and  feeble  that  the  prospect  was  more  than 
dubious. 

"If  it  should  be  that  my  team  gives  out,  I  will  run  on 
myself  to  give  the  alarm,"  cried  the  worthy,  perspiring 
charioteer.     "It  shall  not  be !     God  preserve  us  !" 

Three  times  the  oxen  broke  down,  panting  and  stub- 
born ;  as  many  times  he  thwacked  them  and  kicked  them 
and  cursed  them  into  action  again.  They  stumbled 
pitifully,  but  they  did  manage  to  go  forward. 

In  time  the  city  gates  came  in  sight — far  up  the 
straight,  narrow  road.  "Pray  God  we  may  not  be  too 
late,"  groaned  the  farmer.  "Damn  the  swine  who  took 
their  horses  to  town  before  the  sun  was  up.  Curse 
them  for  fools  and  imbeciles.  Fools  never  get  into 
heaven.    Thank  the  good  Lord  for  that." 

It  seemed  to  the  quivering  Americans  that  the  gates 
were  mocking  them  by  drawing  farther  away  instead  of 
coming  nearer. 

"Are  we  going  backward.'^"  groaned  Truxton,  his 
hands  gripping  the  side  of  the  bounding  seat. 

Near  the  gates,  which  were  still  open,  it  occurred  to 
him  in  a  single  flash  of  dismay  that  he  and  Loraine 
would  be  recognised  and  intercepted  by  Marlanx  watch- 
ers. Between  the  fierce  jolts  of  the  great  cart  he 
managed  to  convey  his  fears  to  her. 


260  TRUXTON  KING 

It  was  she  who  had  the  solution.  They  might  succeed 
in  passing  the  gates  if  they  hid  themselves  in  the  bed  of 
the  cart,  underneath  the  thick  canvas  covering.  The 
farmer  lifted  the  cloth  and  they  crawled  down  among 
the  melons.  In  this  fashion  they  not  only  covered  the 
remainder  of  the  distance,  half  stifled  by  the  heat  and 
half  murdered  by  the  uncomfortable  position,  but  passed 
through  the  gates  and  were  taken  clattering  down  the 
streets  toward  the  centre  of  town. 

"To  the  Tower !"  cried  the  anxious  Truxton. 

"Impossible!"  shouted  the  farmer.  "The  streets  are 
roped  off  and  the  crowds  are  too  great." 

"Then  let  us  out  as  near  to  the  Tower  as  possible," 
cried  the  other. 

"Here  we  are,"  cried  the  driver,  a  few  minutes  later, 
pulling  up  his  half  dead  oxen  and  leaping  to  the  ground. 
He  threw  off  the  covering  and  they  lost  no  time  in  tum- 
bling from  their  bed  of  melons  to  the  cobble-stone  pave- 
ment of  a  narrow  alley  into  which  he  had  turned  for 
safety.  "Through  this  passage!"  he  gasped,  hoarse 
with  excitement.  "The  Tower  is  below.  Follow  me! 
My  oxen  will  stand.  I  am  going  with  you!"  His 
rugged  face  was  aglow. 

Off  through  the  alley  they  hurried,  King  disdaining 
the  pain  his  ankle  was  giving  him.  They  came  to  the 
crowded  square  a  few  minutes  later.  The  clock  in  the 
Cathedral  pointed  to  twelve  o'clock  and  after!  The 
catastrophe  had  not  yet  taken  place;  the  people  were 
laughing  and  singing  and  shouting.  They  were  in  time. 
Everywhere  they  heard  glad  voices  crying  out  that  the 
Prince  was  coming!  It  was  the  Royal  band  that  t"hey 
heard  through  dinning  ears! 

"Great  God!"  cried  Truxton,  stopping  suddenly  and 
J|)ointing  with  trembling  hand  to  a  spot  across  the  street 


THE   MERRY  VAGABOND  261 

and  a  little  below  where  they  had  pushed  through  the 
resentful,  staring  throng  on  the  sidewalk.  "There  she 
is!     At  the  corner!     Stop  her!" 

He  had  caught  sight  of  Olga  Platanova. 

The  first  row  of  dragoons  was  already  passing  in  front 
of  her.  Less  than  two  hundred  feet  away  rolled  the 
royal  coach  of  gold !  All  this  flashed  before  the  eyes  of 
the  distracted  pair,  who  were  now  dashing  frantically 
into  the  open  street,  disregarding  the  shouts  of  the 
police  and  the  howls  of  the  crowd. 

"An  anarchist!"  shouted  King  hoarsely.  He  looked 
like  one  himself.  "The  bomb !  The  bomb !  Stop  the 
Prince !" 

Colonel  Quinnox  recognised  this  bearded,  uncouth 
figure,  and  the  flying,  terrified  girl  at  his  heels.  King 
was  dragging  her  along  by  the  hand.  There  was  an 
instant  of  confusion  on  the  part  of  the  vanguard,  a 
drawing  of  sabres,  a  movement  toward  the  coach  in 
which  the  Prince  rode. 

Quinnox  alone  prevented  the  dragoons  from  cutting 
down  the  pallid  madman  who  stumbled  blindly  toward 
the  coaches  beyond.  He  whirled  his  steed  after  an 
astonished  glance  in  all  directions,  shouting  eager  com- 
mands all  the  while.  When  he  reached  the  side  of  the 
gasping  American,  that  person  had  stopped  and  was 
pointing  toward  the  trembling  Olga,  who  had  seen  and 
recognised  him. 

"Stop  the  coach!"  cried  King.  Loraine  was  running 
frantically  through  the  ranks  of  horsemen,  screaming 
her  words  of  alarm. 

The  Duke  of  Perse  leaped  from  his  carriage  and  ran 
forward,  shouting  to  the  soldiers  to  seize  the  disturbers. 
Panic  seized  the  crowd.  There  was  a  mad  rush  for  the 
comer   above.     Olga  Platanova  stood  alone,   her  eyeg 


«62  TRUXTON  KING 

wide  and  glassy,  staring  as  if  petrified  at  the  face  of 
Truxton  King. 

He  saw  the  object  in  her  wavering  hand.  With  a 
yell  he  dashed  for  safety  down  the  seething  avenue.  The 
Duke  of  Perse  struck  at  him  as  he  passed,  ignoring  the 
frantic  cry  of  warning  that  he  uttered.  A  plain,  white-, 
faced  farmer  in  a  smock  of  blue  was  crossing  the  street 
with  mighty  bounds,  his  eyes  glued  upon  the  arm  of  the 
frail,  terrified  anarchist.  If  he  could  only  arrest  that 
palsied,  uncertain  arm! 

But  she  hurled  the  bomb,  her  hands  going  to  her  eyes 
as  she  fell  upon  her  knees. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB 

The  scene  that  followed  beggars  all  powers  of  descrip- 
tion. 

A  score  of  men  and  horses  lay  writhing  in  the  street ; 
others  crept  away  screaming  with  pain ;  human  flesh  and 
that  of  animals  lay  in  the  path  of  the  frenzied,  panic- 
stricken  holiday  crowd ;  blood  mingled  with  the  soft  mud 
of  Regengetz  Circus,  slimy,  slippery,  ugly! 

Rent  bodies  of  men  in  once  gaudy  uniforms,  now 
flattened  and  bruised  in  wann,  oozy  death,  were  piled  in 
a  mass  where  but  a  moment  before  the  wondering  van- 
guard of  troopers  had  clustered.  For  many  rods  in  all 
directions  stunned  creatures  were  struf^f^lino^  to  their 
feet  after  the  stupendous  shock  that  had  felled  them. 
The  clattering  of  frightened  horses,  the  shouts  and 
screams  of  men  and  women,  the  gruesome  rush  of  ten 
thousand  people  in  stampede — all  in  twenty  seconds  af- 
ter the  engine  of  death  left  the  hand  of  Olga  Platanova. 

Olga  Platanova !  There  was  nothing  left  of  her !  She 
had  failed  to  do  the  deed  expected  of  her,  but  she  would 
not  hear  the  execrations  of  those  who  had  depended  upon 
her  to  kill  the  Prince.  We  draw  a  veil  across  the  pic- 
ture of  Olga  Platanova  after  the  bomb  left  her  hand; 
no  one  may  look  upon  the  quivering,  shattered  thing 
that  once  was  a  living,  beautiful  woman.  The  glimpse 
she  had  of  Truxton  King's  haggard  face  unnerved  her. 
She  faltered,  her  strength  of  will  collapsed;  she  hurled 
the  bomb  in  a  panic  of  indecision.  Massacre  but  not 
conquest ! 

Down  in  an  alle}^  below  the  Tower,  a  trembling,  worn 


264  TRUXTON  KING 

team  of  oxen  stood  for  a  day  and  night,  awaiting  the 
return  of  a  master  who  was  never  to  come  back  to  them. 
God  rest  his  simple  soul  1 

Truxton  King  picked  himself  up  from  the  street, 
dazed,  bev,'ildered  but  unhurt.  Everywhere  about  him 
mad  people  were  rushing  and  screeching.  Scarcely 
knowing  what  he  did,  he  fled  with  the  crowd.  From  be- 
hind him  came  the  banging  of  guns,  followed  by  new 
shouts  of  terror.  He  knew  what  it  meant !  The  revo- 
lutionists had  begun  the  assault  on  the  parah'sed 
minions  of  the  government. 

Scores  of  Royal  Guardsmen  swept  past  him,  rushing 
to  the  support  of  the  coach  of  gold.  The  sharp,  shrill 
scream  of  a  single  name  rose  above  the  tumult.  Some 
one  had  seen  the  Iron  Count ! 

"Marlanx !" 

He  looked  back  toward  the  gory  entrance  to  the  Circus. 
There  was  Marlanx,  mounted  and  swinging  a  sabre  on 
high.  Ahead  was  the  mass  of  carriages,  filled  with  the 
white-faced,  palsied  prey  from  the  Court  of  Graustark. 
Somewhere  in  that  huddled,  glittering  crowd  were  two 
beings  he  willingly  would  give  his  own  life  to  save. 

Foot  soldiers,  policemen  and  mounted  guardsmen  be- 
gan firing  into  the  crowd  at  the  square,  without  sense  or 
discretion,  falling  back,  nevertheless,  before  the  well- 
timed,  deliberate  advance  of  the  mercenaries.  From 
somewhere  near  the  spot  where  Olga  Platanova  fell  came 
a  harsh,  penetrating  command : 

"Cut  them  off !     Cut  them  off  from  the  Castle !" 

It  was  his  cue.  He  dashed  into  the  street  and  ran  to- 
ward the  carriages,  shouting  with  all  his  strength: 

"Turn  back !     It  is  Marlanx  !    To  the  Castle !" 

Then  it  was  that  he  saw  the  Prince.  The  boy  was 
standing  on  a  seat  on  the  royal  coach  of  state,  holding 


THE  THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB       S65 

out  his  eager  little  hands  to  some  one  in  the  thick  of  the 
crowd  that  surged  about  him.  He  was  calling  some 
one's  name,  but  no  one  could  have  heard  him. 

Truxton's  straining  eves  caught  sight  of  the  figure  in 
grey  that  struggled  forward  in  response  to  the  cries 
and  the  extended  hands.  He  pushed  his  way  savagely 
through  the  crowd ;  he  came  up  with  her  as  she  reached 
the  side  of  the  coach,  and  with  a  shout  of  encouragement 
grasped  her  in  his  anns. 

"Aunt  Loraine !  Aunt  Loraine !"  He  now  heard  the 
name  the  bo}-  cried  with  all  his  little  heart. 

Two  officers  struck  at  the  uncouth,  desperate  American 
as  he  lifted  the  girl  from  the  ground  and  deliberately 
tossed  her  into  the  coach. 

"Turn  back !"  he  shouted.  A  horseman  rode  him  down. 
He  looked  up  as  the  plunging  animal's  hoofs  clattered 
about  his  head.  Vos  Engo,  with  drawn  sword,  was 
crowding  up  to  the  carriage  door,  shouting  words  of 
rejoicing  at  sight  of  the  girl  he  loved. 

Somehow  he  managed  to  crawl  from  under  the  hoofs 
and  wheels,  not  without  thumps  and  bruises,  and  made 
his  way  to  the  sidewalk.  The  coach  had  swung  around 
and  the  horses  were  being  lashed  into  a  gallop  for  the 
Castle  gates. 

He  caught  a  glimpse  of  her,  holding  the  Prince  in  her 
arms,  her  white,  agonised  face  turned  toward  the  mob. 
Distinctly  he  heard  her  cry : 

"Save  him!     Save  Truxton  King!" 

From  the  sidewalks  swarmed  well-armed  hordes  of 
desperadoes,  firing  wildly  into  the  ranks  of  devoted 
guardsmen  grouped  in  the  avenue  to  cover  the  flight  of 
their  royal  charge.  Truxton  fled  from  the  danger  zone 
as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him.  Bullets  were  strik- 
ing all  about  him.     Later  on  he  was  to  remember  his 


266  TRUXTON  KING 

swollen,  bitterly  painful  ankle ;  but  there  was  no  thought 
of  it  now.  He  had  played  football  with  this  same  ankle 
in  worse  condition  than  it  was  now — and  he  had  played 
for  the  fun  of  it,  too. 

He  realised  that  his  life  was  worth  absolutely  nothing 
if  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  His  only  chance 
lay  in  falling  in  with  some  sane,  loyal  citizen  who  could 
be  prevailed  upon  to  hide  him  until  the  worst  was  over. 
There  seemed  no  possibility  of  getting  inside  the  Castle 
grounds.  He  had  done  his  duty  and — he  laughed 
bitterly  as  he  thought  of  it — he  had  been  ridden  down 
by  the  men  he  came  to  save. 

Some  one  was  shouting  his  name  behind  in  the  scurry- 
ing crowd.  He  turned  for  a  single  glance  backward. 
Little  Mr.  Hobbs,  pale  as  a  ghost,  his  cap  gone,  his 
clothing  torn,  was  panting  at  his  elbow. 

"God  save  us !"  gasped  Hobbs.  "Are  you  alive  or  am 
I  seeing  all  the  bloody  ghosts  in  the  world  .f^" 

"I'm  alive  all  right,"  cried  King.  "Where  can  we  go? 
Be  quick,  Hobbs !  Think !  Don't  sputter  like  that.  I 
want  to  be  personally  conducted,  and  damned  quick  at 
that." 

"Before  God,  sir,  I  'aven't  the  idea  where  to  go," 
groaned  Hobbs.  "It's  dreadful !  Did  you  see  what  the 
woman  did  back  there " 

"Don't  stop  to  tell  me  about  it,  Hobbs.  Keep  on  run- 
ping.  Go  ahead  of  me.  I'm  used  to  following  the  man 
from  Cook's." 

"Right  you  are,  sir.     I  say,  by  Jove,  I'm  glad  to  see  ' 
you — I  am.     You  came  right  up  out  of  the  ground  as 
if " 

"Is  there  no  way  to  get  off  this  beastly  avenue?" 
panted  King.  "They're  shooting  back  there  like  a  pack 
of  wild  men.    I  hate  to  think  of  what's  going  on." 


THE  THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB       267 

*'Dangloss  will  'ave  them  all  in  the  jug  inside  of  ten 
minutes,  take  mj  word " 

"They'll  have  Dangloss  hanging  from  a  telephone 
pole,  Hobbs  !    Don't  talk !    Run  !" 

Soldiers  came  riding  up  from  behind,  turning  to  fire 
from  their  saddles  into  the  throng  of  cutthroats,  led 
by  the  grim  old  man  with  the  bloody  sabre.  In  the 
centre  of  the  troop  there  was  a  flying  carriage.  The 
Duke  of  Perse  was  lying  back  in  the  seat,  his  face  hke 
that  of  a  dead  man.  Far  ahead  rattled  the  royal  coach 
and  the  wildly  flj'ing  carriages  of  state. 

"The  Prince  is  safe!"  shouted  King  joyously.  "They'll 
make  it !     Thank  God !" 

Colonel  Quinnox  turned  in  his  saddle  and  searched  out 
the  owner  of  that  stirring  voice. 

"Come !"  he  called,  drawing  rein  as  soon  as  he  caught 
sight  of  him. 

Even  as  King  rushed  out  into  the  roadway  a  horseman 
galloped  up  from  the  direction  of  the  Castle.  He  pulled 
his  horse  to  his  haunches  almost  as  he  was  riding  over  the 
dodging  American. 

"Here!"  shouted  the  newcomer,  scowling  down  upon 
the  young  man.     "Swing  up  here!     Quick,  you  fool!" 

It  was  Vos  Engo,  his  face  black  with  fury.  Quinnox 
had  seized  the  hand  of  Mr.  Hobbs  on  seeing  help  for 
King  and  was  pulling  him  up  before  him.  There  was 
nothing  for  Truxton  to  do  but  to  accept  the  timely 
help  of  his  rival.  An  instant  later  he  was  up  behind  him 
and  they  were  off  after  the  last  of  the  dragoons. 

"If  3'ou  don't  mind,  Count,  I'll  try  my  luck,"  grated 
the  American.  Holding  on  with  one  arm,  he  turned  and 
fired  repeatedly  in  the  direction  of  the  howling  crowd 
of  rascals. 

"Ride  to  the  barracks  gates,  Vos  Engo!"  commanded 


268  TRUXTON  KING 

Colonel  Quinnox.  "Be  prepared  to  admit  none  but  the 
Royal  Reserves,  who  are  under  standing  orders  to  report 
there  in  time  of  need." 

"God  grant  that  they  may  be  able  to  come,"  responded 
the  Count.  Over  his  shoulder  he  hissed  to  his  com- 
panion. "It  was  not  idle  heroics,  my  friend,  nor  philan- 
thropv  on  my  part.  I  was  commanded  to  come  and  fetch 
you.  She  would  never  have  spoken  to  me  again  if  I  had 
refused." 

"She.^  Ah,  yes;  I  see.  Good'  She  did  not  forget 
me  1"  cried  Truxton,  his  heart  bounding. 

"My  own  happiness  depends  on  my  luck  in  getting  you 
to  safety,"  rasped  the  Count.  "My  hfe's  happiness. 
Understand,  damn  you,  it  is  not  for  you  that  I  risk  my 
life." 

"I  understand,"  murmured  Truxton,  a  wry  smile  on 
his  pale  lips.  "You  mean,  she  is  going  to  pay  you  in 
some  way  for  picking  me  up,  eh.'^  Well,  I'll  put  an 
end  to  that.  I'll  drop  off  again.  Then  you  can  ride  on 
and  tell  her — I  wouldn't  be  a  party  to  the  game.  Do  you 
catch  my  meaning.^" 

"You  would,  eh?"  said  the  Count  angrily.  "I'd  like 
to  see  3'ou  drop  off  while  we're  going  at  this " 

"I've  got  my  pistol  in  the  middle  of  your  back,"  grated 
Truxton.  "Slow  up  a  bit  or  I'll  scatter  your  vertebrae 
,  all  over  your  system.     Pull  up !" 

"As  you  like,"  cried  Yos  Engo.     "I've  done  my  part. 

.  Colonel  Quinnox  will  bear  witness."     He  began  pulling 

his  horse  down.     "Now,  you  are  quite  free  to  drop  off." 

Without  a  word  the  American  swung  his  leg  over  and 
slid  to  the  ground.  "Thanks  for  the  lift  you've  given 
me,"  he  called  up  to  the  astonished  officer. 

"Don't  thank  me,"  sang  out  his  would-be  saviour  as 
he  put  spur  to  his  horse. 


THE   THROWING  OF  THE   BOMB       269 

It  is  a  lamentable  thing  to  say,  but  Truxton  King's 
extraordinary  sacrifice  was  not  altogether  the  out- 
growth of  heroism.  We  have  not  been  called  upon  at 
any  time  to  question  his  courage ;  we  have,  on  the  other 
hand,  seen  tim.es  when  he  displayed  the  most  arrant  fool- 
hardiness.  I  defy  any  one  to  prove,  however,  that  he 
ever  neglected  an  opportunity  to  better  himself  b^ 
strategy  at  the  expense  of  fortitude.  Therefore,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  even  at  such  a  time  as  this  we  may 
be  called  upon  to  record  an  example  of  his  spectacular 
cunning. 

Be  sure  of  it,  he  did  not  decide  to  slide  from  Vos  Engo's 
horse  until  he  saw  a  way  clear  to  better  his  position, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  lessen  the  glory  of  his  unpleasant 
rescuer. 

Less  than  a  hundred  yards  behind  loped  a  riderless 
horse;  the  dragoon  who  had  sat  the  saddle  was  lying 
far  back  in  the  avenue,  a  bullet  in  his  head.  Hobbling 
to  the  middle  of  the  road,  the  American  threw  up  his 
hands  and  shouted  briskly  to  the  bewildered  animal. 
Throwing  his  ears  forward  in  considerable  doubt,  the 
horse  came  to  a  standstill  close  at  hand.  Five  seconds 
later  King  was  in  the  saddle  and  tearing  along  in  the 
wake  of  the  retreating  guard,  his  hair  blowing  from 
his  forehead,  his  blood  leaping  with  the  joy  of  achieve- 
ment. 

Mr.  Hobbs  afterward  informed  him  that  Count  Vos 
Engo's  oaths  were  worth  going  miles  to  avoid. 

"We  need  such  men  as  King!"  cried  Colonel  Quinnox 
as  he  waited  inside  the  gates  for  the  wild  rider.  A  mo- 
ment later  King  dashed  through  and  the  massive  bolts 
were  shot. 

As  he  pulled  up  in  front  of  the  steward's  lodge  to 
await  the  orders  of  the  Colonel,  the  exultant  American 


270  TRUXTON  KING 

completed  the  soliloqu}"  that  began  with  the  mad  impulse 
to  ride  into  port  under  his  own  sails. 

"I'll  have  to  tell  her  that  he  did  a  fine  thing  in  coming 
back  for  me,  much  as  he  hated  to  do  it.  What's  more, 
I  shan't  say  a  word  about  his  beastly  temper.  We'll  let 
it  pass.  He  deserves  a  whole  lot  for  the  part  he  played. 
I'll  not  forget  it.  Too  bad  he  had  to  spoil  it  all  by  talk- 
ing as  he  did.  But,  hang  me,  if  he  shall  exact  anything 
from  her  because  he  did  a  thing  he  didn't  want  to  do. 
I  took  a  darned  sight  bigger  chance  than  he  did,  after 
all.  Grood  Lord,  what  a  mess  I  would  have  been  in  if 
the  nag  hadn't  stopped !  WTiew !  Well,  old  boy,  you 
did  stop,  God  bless  you.  Colonel,"  he  spoke,  as  Quin- 
nox  came  up,  "do  you  think  I  can  buy  this  horse?  He's 
got  more  sense  than  I  have." 

Small  bodies  of  foot  soldiers  and  policemen  fighting 
valiantly  against  great  odds  were  admitted  to  the 
grounds  during  the  next  half  hour.  Scores  had  been 
killed  by  the  fierce,  irregular  attack  of  the  revolu- 
tionists ;  others  had  become  separated  from  their  com- 
rades and  were  even  now  being  hunted  down  and  de- 
stroyed by  the  infuriated  followers  of  ]\Iarlanx.  A  hun- 
dred or  more  of  the  reserves  reached  the  upper  gates 
before  it  occurred  to  the  enemy  to  blockade  the  streets 
in  that  neighbourhood.  General  Braze,  with  a  few  of  his 
men,  bloody  and  heartsick,  was  the  last  of  the  little 
J  army  to  reach  safety  in  the  Castle  grounds,  coming  up 
by  wa}'  of  the  lower  gates  from  the  fortress,  which  they 
had  tried  to  reach  after  the  first  outbreak,  but  had  found 
themselves  forestalled. 

The  fortress,  with  all  guns,  stores  and  ammunition,  was 
in  the  hands  of  the  Iron  Count  and  his  cohorts. 

Baron  Dangloss  had  been  taken  prisoner  with  a  whole 
platoon  of  fighting  constables.    This  was  the  last  appall- 


THE  THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB       271 

ing   bit    of  news   to   reach  the   horrified,   disorganised 
forces  in  the  Castle  grounds. 

Citizens  had  fled  to  their  homes,  unmolested.  The 
streets  were  empty,  save  for  the  armed  minions  of  the 
Iron  Count.  They  rushed  hither  and  thither  in  violent 
detachments,  seeking  out  the  men  in  uniform,  yelling 
and  shooting  like  unmanageable  savages. 

Before  two  o'clock  the  city  itself  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  hated  enemy  of  the  Crown.  He  and  his  ahens,  male- 
factors and  all,  were  in  complete  control  of  the  fortress, 
the  gates  and  approaches,  the  Tower  and  the  bloody 
streets.  A  thousand  of  them, — eager,  yelling  ruffians, — 
marched  to  within  firing  distance  of  the  Castle  walls  and 
held  every  approach  against  reinforcements.  Except 
for  the  failure  to  destroy  the  Prince  and  his  counsellors, 
the  daring,  unspeakable  plans  of  Count  Marlanx  had 
been  attended  by  the  most  horrifying  results.  He  was 
master.  There  was  no  question  as  to  that.  The  few 
hundred  souls  in  the  Castle  grounds  were  like  rats  in  a 
trap. 

A  wise  as  well  as  a  cruel  man  was  Marlanx.  He  lost 
no  time  in  issuing  a  manifesto  to  the  stunned,  demoral- 
ised citizens  of  Edelweiss.  Scores  of  criers  went 
through  the  streets  during  the  long,  wretched  afternoon, 
announcing  to  the  populace  that  Count  Marlanx  had 
established  himself  as  dictator  and  military  governor  of 
the  principality — pending  the  abdication  of  the  Prince 
and  the  beginning  of  a  new  and  substantial  regime.  All' 
citizens  were  commanded  to  recognise  the  authority  of 
the  dictator ;  none  except  those  who  disobeyed  or  re- 
sented this  authorit}^  would  be  molested.  Traffic  would 
be  resumed  on  the  following  Monday.  Tradespeople 
and  artisans  were  commanded  to  resume  their  occupa- 
^tions  under  penalty  of  extreme  punishment  in  case  of 


272  TRUXTON  KING 

refusal.  These  and  many  other  edicts  were  issued  from 
Marlanx's  temporary  headquarters  in  the  Plaza — almost 
at  the  foot  of  the  still  yeiled  monument  of  the  beloved 
Princess  Yetive. 

Toward  evening,  after  many  consultations  and  count- 
less reports,  Marlanx  removed  his  headquarters  to  the 
Tower.  He  had  fondly  hoped  to  be  in  the  Castle  long 
before  this.  His  rage  and  disappointment  over  the 
stupid  miscarriage  of  plans  left  no  room  for  conjecture 
as  to  the  actual  state  of  his  feelings.  For  hours  he  had 
raved  like  a  madman.  Every  soldier  who  fell  into  his 
hands  was  shot  down  like  a  dog. 

The  cells  and  dungeons  in  the  great  old  tower  were 
now  occupied  by  bruised,  defeated  officers  of  the  law. 
Baron  Jasto  Dangloss,  crushed  in  spirit  and  broken  of 
body,  paced  the  blackest  and  narrowest  cell  of  them  all. 
The  gall  and  wormwood  that  filled  his  soul  was  not  to 
be  measured  by  words.  Pie  blamed  himself  for  the  catas- 
trophe; it  was  he  who  had  permitted  this  appalhng 
thing  to  grow  and  burst  with  such  sickening  results.  In 
his  mind  there  was  no  doubt  that  Marlanx  had  com- 
pletely overthrown  the  dynasty  and  was  in  full  posses- 
sion of  the  government.  He  did  not  know  that  the 
Prince  and  his  court  had  succeeded  in  reaching:  the 
Castle,  whose  walls  and  gates  were  well-nigh  im- 
pregnable to  assault,  even  by  a  great  army.  If  he  had 
known  this  he  might  have  rejoiced! 

Late  in  the  evening  he  received  a  visit  from  Marlanx, 
the  new  master. 

The  Iron  Count,  lighted  by  a  ghostly  lantern  in  the 
hands  of  a  man  who,  ten  hours  before,  had  been  a 
prisoner  within  these  very  walls,  came  up  to  the  narrow 
grating  that  served  as  a  door  and  gazed  complacently 
upon  the  once  great  minister  of  police. 


THE   THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB       273 

"Well,"  said  Dangloss,  his  eyes  snapping,  "what  is  it, 
damn  you?" 

Marlanx  stroked  his  chin  and  smiled.  "I  believe  this 
is  my  old  confrere.  Baron  Dangloss,"  he  remarked. 
"Dear  me,  I  took  you,  sir,  to  be  quite  impeccable.  Here 
you  are,  behind  the  bars.    Will  wonders  never  cease?" 

Dangloss  merely  glared  at  him. 

The  Iron  Count  went  on  suavely;  "You  heard  me, 
Baron.  Still,  I  do  not  require  an  answer.  How  do  you 
like  your  new  quarters  ?  It  may  please  you  to  know  that 
I  am  occupying  your  office,  and  also  that  noble  suite 
overlooking  the  Plaza.  I  find  mj^self  m.ost  agreeably 
situated.  By  the  way,  Baron,  I  seem  to  recall  some- 
thing to  mind  as  I  look  at  you.  You  were  the  kindly 
disposed  gentleman  who  escorted  me  to  the  city  gates  a 
few  years  ago  and  there  turned  me  over  to  a  detachment 
of  soldiers,  who,  in  turn,  conveyed  me  to  the  border.  If 
I  recall  the  occasion  rightly,  you  virtually  kicked  me 
out  of  the  citv.    Am  I  rio^ht?" 

"You  are !"  was  all  that  the  bitter  Dangloss  said,  with- 
out taking  his  fierce  gaze  from  the  sallow  face  beyond 
the  bars. 

"I  am  happy  to  find  that  my  memory  is  so  good,"  said 
Marlanx. 

"I  expect  to  be  able  to  repeat  the  operation,"  said 
Dangloss. 

"How  interesting!  You  forget  that  history  never  re* 
peats  itself." 

"See  here,  Marlanx,  what  is  your  game?  Speak  up; 
I'm  not  afraid  of  you.  Do  you  intend  to  take  me  out 
and  shoot  me  at  sunrise?" 

"Oh,  dear  me,  no!  That  would  be  a  silly  proceedings 
You  own  vast  estates  in  Graustark,  if  I  mistake  not,  just 
as  I  did  eight  or  nine  years  ago.     Well,  I  have  comi 


274<  TRUXTON  KING 

into  my  own  again.  The  Crown  relieved  me  of  my 
estates,  my  citizenship,  my  honour.  I  have  waited  long 
to  regain  them.  Understand  me,  Dangloss ;  I  am  in 
control  now;  my  word  is  law.  I  do  not  intend  to  kill 
you.  It  is  my  intention  to  escort  you  to  the  border  and 
kick  you  out  of  Graustark.  See  for  yourself  how  it 
feels.  Everything  you  possess  is  to  be  taken  awa}^  from 
you.  You  will  be  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the  earth — 
a  pauper.  All  you  have  is  here.  Therein  lies  the 
distinction:  I  had  large  possessions  in  other  lands.  I 
had  friends  and  a  following,  as  you  see.  You  will  have 
none  of  these.  Baron." 

"A  splendid  triumph,  you  beast  1" 

"Of  course,  you'd  much  prefer  being  shot." 

"Not  at  all.  Banish  me,  if  you  please ;  strip  me  of  all 
I  possess.  But  ni  come  back  another  day,  Count 
Marlanx." 

"Ah,  yes;  that  reminds  me.  I  had  quite  forgotten  to 
say  that  the  first  ten  years  of  your  exile  are  to  be  spent 
in  the  dungeons  at  Schloss  Marlanx.  How  careless  of 
me  to  have  neglected  to  state  that  in  the  beginning.  In 
ten  3'ears  you  will  be  seventy-five,  Baron.  An  excellent 
time  of  life  for  one  to  begin  his  wanderings  over  the 
world  which  will  not  care  to  remember  him." 

"Do  you  expect  me  to  get  down  on  my  knees  and  plead 
for  mercy,  you  scoundrel?" 

"I  know  you  too  well  for  that,  my  dear  Baron." 

"Get  out  of  my  sight!" 

"Pray  do  not  forget  that  I  am  governor  of  the  Tower 
at  present.     I  go  and  come  as  I  choose." 

"God  will  punish  you  for  what  you  have  done.  There's 
solace  in  that." 

"As  3'ou  like.  Baron.  If  it  makes  it  easier  for  you  to 
feel  that  God  will  take  a  hand  in  my  humble  affairs,  all 


THE  THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB       275 

<^ell  and  good.  I  grant  you  that  delectable  privi- 
lege." 

Baron  Dangloss  turned  his  back  upon  his  smiling 
enemy,  his  body  quivering  with  passion. 

"By  the  way,  Baron,  would  you  care  to  hear  all  the 
latest  news  from  the  seat  of  war.'^  It  may  interest  you 
to  know  that  the  Castle  is  besieged  in  most  proper 
•fashion.     No  one -" 

"The  Castle  besieged?  Then,  by  the  Eternal^  you  did 
not  take  the  Prince  1" 

"Not  at  all!  He  is  in  the  Castle  for  a  few  hours  of 
imaginary  safety.  To-night  my  men  will  be  admitted 
to  the  grounds  by  friends  who  have  sers^ed  two  masters 
for  a  twelve-month  or  longer." 

"Traitors  in  the  Castle?"  cried  Dangloss  in  horror. 
He  was  now  facing  the  Count. 

"Hardly  that,  my  dear  sir.  Agents,  I  should  call  thein» 
Isn't  it  splendid?" 

"You  are  a " 

"Don't  say  it.  Baron.  Save  your  breath.  I  know  what 
you  would  caU  me,  and  can  save  you  the  trouble  of 
shouting  it,  as  you  seem  inclined  to  do." 

"Thank  God,  your  assassins  not  only  failed  to 
dynamite  the  boy,  but  your  dogs  failed  to  capture  him. 
By  heaven,  God  is  with  Prince  Robin,  after  all  1" 

"How  exalted  you  seem.  Baron !  It  is  a  treat  to  look 
jat  you.  Oh,  another  thing:  the  Platanova  girl  was  not 
-7722/  assassin." 

"That's  a  lie!" 

*'You  shall  not  chide  me  in  that  fashion,  Baron.  You 
are  very  rude.  No ;  the  girl  was  operating  for  what  I 
have  since  discovered  to  be  the  Committee  of  Ten,  lead- 
ing  the  Party  of  Equals  in  Graustark.  To-morrow 
morning  I  shall  have  the  Committee  of  Ten  seized  and 


276  TRUXTON  KING 

shot  in  the  public  square.  We  cannot  harbour  dyna- 
miters and  assassins  of  that  type.  There  are  two-score 
or  more  of  anarchist  sympathisers  here.  We  will  cheer- 
fully shoot  all  of  them — an  act  that  you  should  have 
performed  miany  days  ago,  my  astute  friend.  It  might 
have  saved  trouble.  The\'  are  a  dangerous  element  in 
any  town.  Those  whom  I  do  not  kill  I  shall  transport 
to  the  United  States  in  exchange  for  the  Americans  who 
have  managed  to  lose  themselves  over  here.  A  fair  ex- 
change, you  see.  Moreover,  I  hear  that  the  United 
States  Government  welcomes  the  Reds  if  they  are  white 
instead  of  yellow.  Clever,  but  involved,  eh?  Well, 
good  night.  Baron.  Sleep  well.  I  expect  to  see  you 
again  after  the  rush  of  business  attending  the  adjust- 
ment of  my  own  particular  aifairs.  In  a  day  or  two  I 
shall  move  into  the  Castle.  You  may  be  relieved  to 
know  tliat  I  do  not  expect  to  find  the  time  to  kick  you 
out  of  Graustark  under  a  week  or  ten  days." 

"My  men:  what  of  them.^    The  brave  fellows  who  were 
taken  with  me.^     You  will  not  deprive " 

"In  time  they  will  be  given  the  choice  of  serving  me  as 
policemen  or  serving  the  world  as  examples  of  folly. 
Rest  easy  concerning  them.  Ah,  yes,  again  I  have 
stupidly  forgotten  something.  Your  excellent  friend, 
Tullis,  will  not  re-enter  Edelweiss  alive.  That  is  quite 
assured,  sir.  So  you  see,  he  will,  after  all,  be  better  off 
than  3'ou.  I  don't  blame  him  for  loving  my  wife.  It 
was  my  desire  to  amicably  trade  my  wife  off  to  him  foiT 
his  charming  sister,  but  the  deal  hangs  fire.  AYhat  a 
scowl!  I  dare  say  you  contemplate  sa^'ing  something 
bitter,  so  I'll  retire.  A  little  later  on  I  shall  be 
chatting  with  the  Prince  at  the  Castle.  I'll  give  liim 
your  gentlest  felicitations." 

But  Marlanx  was  doomed  to  another  disappointment 


THE  THROWING  OF  THE  BOMB        27T 

before  the  night  was  over.  The  Castle  gates  were  not 
opened  to  his  forces.  Colonel  Quinnox  apprehended  the 
traitors  in  time  to  prevent  the  calamity.  Ten  hostlers 
in  the  Royal  stables  were  taken  redhanded  in  the  attempt 
to  overpower  the  small  guard  at  the  western  gatesc 
Their  object  was  made  plain  b}'  the  subsequent  futile 
movement  of  a  large  force  of  men  at  that  particular 
point. 
Prince  Robin  was  safe  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


TRUXTOX  ON  PARADE 


Count  Marlanx  was  a  soldier.  He  knew  how  to  take 
defeat  and  to  bide  his  time;  he  knew  how  to  behave  in 
the  hour  of  victory  and  in  the  moment  of  rout.  The 
'miscarriage  of  a  detail  here  and  there  in  this  vast,  com- 
prehensive plan  of  action  did  not  in  the  least  sense 
discourage  him.  It  was  no  light  blow  to  his  calcula- 
tions, of  course,  when  the  designs  of  an  organisation 
separate  and  distinct  from  his  own  failed  in  their  pur- 
pose. It  was  part  of  his  plan  to  hold  the  misguided 
Reds  responsible  for  the  lamentable  death  of  Prince 
Robin.  The  people  were  to  be  given  swift,  uncontrover- 
tible proof  that  he  had  no  hand  in  the  unforeseen  trans- 
actions of  the  anarchists,  who,  he  would  make  it  appear, 
had  by  curious  coincidence  elected  to  kill  the  Prince 
almost  at  the  very  hour  when  he  planned  to  seize  the 
city  as  a  conqueror. 

His  own  connection  with  the  operations  of  the  mysteri- 
ous Committee  of  Ten  was  never  to  be  known  to  the 
world.     He  would  see  to  that. 

At  nine  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  a  small  group  of 
people  gathered  in  the  square:  a  meeting  was  soon  in 
progress.  A  goods-box  stood  over  against  the  very 
spot  on  which  Olga  Platanova  died.  An  old  man  began 
haranguing  the  constantly  growing  crowd,  made  up 
largely  of  those  whose  curiosity  surpassed  discreetness. 
In  the  group  might  have  been  seen  every  member  of  the 
Committee  of  Ten,  besides  a  full  representation  of  those 
who  up  to  now  had  secretly  affiliated  with  the  Party  of 
Equals.    A  red  flag  waved  above  the  little,  excited  group 


TRUXTOX   OX   PARADE  279 

of  fanatics,  close  to  the  goods-box  rostrum.  One  mem- 
ber of  the  Committee  was  absent  from  this,  their  first 
public  espousal  of  the  cause.  Later  on  we  are  to  discover 
who  this  man  was.  Two  women  in  bright  red  waists 
were  crying  encouragement  to  the  old  man  on  the  box, 
whose  opening  sentences  were  no  less  than  an  unchanted 
requiem  for  the  dead  martyr,  Olga  Platanova. 

In  the  midst  of  his  harangue,  the  hand  of  William 
Spantz  was  arrested  in  one  of  its  most  emphatic  gestures. 
A  look  of  wonder  and  uncertainty  came  into  his  face  as 
he  gazed,  transfixed,  over  the  heads  of  his  hearers  in  the 
direction  of  the  Tower. 

Peter  Brutus  was  approaching,  at  the  head  of  a  group 
of  aliens,  all  armed  and  marching  in  ominously  good 
order.  Something  in  the  face  of  Peter  Brutus  sent  a 
chill  of  apprehension  into  the  very  soul  of  the  old 
armourer. 

And  well  it  may  have  done  so. 

"One  mom.ent !"  called  out  Peter  Brutus,  lifting  his 
hand  imperatively.  The  speaker  ceased  his  mouthings. 
"Count  Marlanx  desires  the  immediate  presence  of  the 
following  citizens  at  his  office  in  the  Tower.  I  shall  call 
off  the  names."  He  began  with  ^Yilliam  Spantz.  The 
name  of  each  of  his  associates  in  the  Committee  of  Ten 
followed.  After  them  came  a  score  of  names,  all  of  them 
known  to  be  supporters  of  the  anarchist  cause. 
-  "What  is  the  business,  Peter  .^"  demanded  William 
;  Spantz. 

"Does  it  mean  we  are  to  begin  so  soon  the  establish- 
ing of  the  new  order — "  began  Anna  Cromer,  her  face 
aglow.     Peter  smiled  wanly. 

"Do  not  ask  me,"  he  said,  emphasising  the  pronoun. 
"I  am  only  commanded  to  bring  the  faithful  few  before 


280  TRUXTON  KING 

"But  why  the  armed  escort?"  growled  Julius  Spantz, 
who  had  spent  an  unhappy  twenty-four  hours  in  bond- 
age. 

"To  separate  the  wheat  from  the  chaff,"  said  Peter. 
"Move  on,  good  people,  all  you  whose  names  were  not 
called."  The  order  was  to  the  few  timid  strangers  who 
were  there  because  they  had  nowhere  else  to  go.  They 
scattered  like  chaff. 

Ten  minutes  later  every  member  of  the  Committee  of 
Ten,  except  Peter  Brutus,  was  behind  lock  and  bar,  to- 
gether with  their  shivering  associates,  all  of  them 
dumbly  muttering  to  themselves  the  awful  sentence  that 
Marlanx  had  passed  upon  them. 

"You  are  to  die  at  sunset.  Graustark  still  knows  how 
to  punish  assassins.  She  will  make  an  example  of  you 
to-day  that  all  creatures  of  your  kind,  the  world  over, 
will  not  be  likely  to  forget  in  a  century  to  come.  There 
is  no  room  in  Graustark  for  anarchy.  I  shall  wipe  it 
out  to-day." 

"Sir,  your  promise!"  gasped  William  Spantz.  "We 
are  your  friends — the  true  Party  of " 

"Enough !  Do  not  speak  again  !  Captain  Brutus,  you 
will  send  criers  abroad  to  notify  the  citizens  that  I, 
Count  Marlanx,  have  ordered  the  execution  of  the  ring- 
leaders in  the  plot  to  dynamite  the  Prince.  At  sunset, 
in  the  square.     Away  with  the  carrion !" 

Then  it  was,  and  not  till  then,  that  the  Committee  of 
Ten  found  him  out!  Then  it  was  that  they  came  to 
know  Peter  Brutus!  What  were  their  thoughts,  we 
dare  not  tell :  their  shrieks  and  curses  were  spent  against 
inpenetrable  floors  and  walls.  Baron  Dangloss  heard, 
and,  in  time,  understood.  Even  he  shrank  back  and 
shuddered. 

It  has  been  said  that  Marlanx  was  a  soldier.     There  is 


TRUXTOX   OX   PARADE  281 

one  duty  that  the  soldier  in  command  never  neglects: 
the  duty  to  those  Y>ho  fell  while  fighting  bravely  for  or 
against  him.  Sunday  afternoon  a  force  of  men  was  set 
to  work  burying  the  dead  and  clearing  the  pavements. 
Those  of  his  own  nondescript  army  who  gave  up  their 
lives  on  the  26th  were  buried  in  the  public  cemeteries. 
The  soldiers  of  the  Crown,  as  well  as  the  military  police, 
were  laid  to  rest  in  the  national  cemetery,  with  honours* 
befitting  their  rank.  Each  grave  was  carefully  marked 
and  a  record  preserved.  In  this  way  Marlanx  hoped 
to  obtain  his  first  footing  in  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  citizens.  The  unrecognisable  corpse  of  Olga 
Platanova  was  buried  in  quicklime  outside  the  city  walls. 
There  was  something  distinctly  gruesome  in  the  fact 
that  half  a  dozen  deep  graves  were  dug  alongside  hers, 
hours  before  death  came  to  the  wretches  who  were  to 
occupy  them. 

At  three  o'clock  the  Iron  Count  coolly  sent  messengers 
to  the  homes  of  the  leading  merchants  and  bankers  of 
the  city.  They,  with  the  priests,  the  doctors,  the  munic- 
ipal officers  and  the  manufacturers  were  commanded  to 
appear  before  him  at  five  o'clock  for  the  purpose  of 
discussing  the  welfare  of  the  city  and  its  people.  Hating, 
yet  fearing  him,  they  came ;  not  one  but  felt  in  his  heart 
that  the  old  man  was  undisputed  ruler  of  their  destinies. 
Hours  of  horror  and  despair,  a  night  and  a  da}'  of 
bitter  reflection,  had  brought  the  trembling  populace  to 
the  point  of  seeing  clearly  the  whole  miserable  situation. 
The  reserves  were  powerless ;  the  Royal  Guard  was  be- 
sieged and  greatly  outnumbered;  the  fortress  was  lost. 
There  was  nothing  for  them  to  do  but  temporise.  Time 
alone  could  open  the  way  to  salvation. 

Marlanx  stated  his  position  clearh\  He  left  no  room 
for  doubt  in  their  minds.    The  strings  were  in  his  hands ; 


282  TRUXTON  KING 

he  had  but  to  pull  them.  The  desire  of  his  life  was  about 
to  be  attained.  Without  hesitation  he  informed  the 
leading  men  of  the  city  that  he  was  to  be  the  Prince  of 
Graustark. 

"I  have  the  city,"  he  said  calmly.  "The  farms  and 
villages  will  fall  in  line.  I  do  not  worry  over  them. 
In  a  very  short  time  I  shall  have  the  Castle.  The  ques- 
tion for  you  to  decide  for  yourselves  is  this :  will  you  be 
content  to  remain  here  as  thrifty,  peaceable  citizens, 
protecting  your  fortunes  and  being  protected  by  a  man 
and  not  by  a  child.  If  not,  please  say  so.  The  alterna- 
tive is  in  the  hands  of  the  Crown.  I  am  the  Crown.  The 
Crown  may  at  any  time  confiscate  property  and  banish 
malcontents  and  disturbers.  A  word  to  the  wise,  gentle- 
men. Inside  of  a  week  we  will  have  a  new  government. 
You  will  not  suffer  under  its  administration.  I  should 
be  indeed  a  fool  to  destroy  the  credit  or  injure  the  in- 
tegrity of  my  own  dominion.  But,  let  me  say  this, 
gentlemen,"  he  went  on  after  a  pause,  in  which  his 
suavity  gave  way  to  harshness ;  "you  may  as  well  un- 
derstand at  the  outset  that  I  expect  to  rule  here.  I  will 
rule  Graustark  or  destroy  her." 

The  more  courageous  in  his  audience  began  to  protest 
against  the  high-handed  manner  in  which  he  proposed 
to  treat  them.  Not  a  few  declared  that  they  would 
never  recognise  him  as  a  prince  of  the  realm.  He  waited, 
as  a  spider  waits,  until  he  thought  they  had  gone  far 
enough.  Then  he  held  up  his  hand  and  commanded 
silence. 

"Those  of  you  who  do  not  expect  or  desire  to  live 
under  my  rule — which,  I  promise  you,  shall  be  a  wise 
one, — may  leave  the  city  for  other  lands  just  as  soon 
as  my  deputies  have  completed  the  formal  transfer  of 
all  your  belongings  to  the  Crown  treasury — all,  I  say, 


TRUXTON   ON   PARADE  283 

even  to  the  minutest  trifle.  Permit  me  to  add,  in  that 
connection,  gentlemen:  the  transfer  will  not  be  a  pro- 
longed affair." 

They  glared  back  at  him  and  subsided  into  bitter 
silence. 

"I  am  well  aware  that  jou  love  little  Prince  Robin.  Ha ! 
You  may  not  cheer  here,  gentlemen,  under  penalty  of  my 
displeasure.  It  is  quite  right  that  you  should,  as  loyal 
subjects,  love  your  Prince,  whoever  he  may  be.  I  shall 
certainly  expect  it.  Now,  respecting  young  master 
Robin :  I  have  no  great  desire  to  kill  him." 

He  waited  to  see  the  effect  of  this  brutal  announcement. 
His  hearers  stiffened  and — yes,  they  held  their  breath. 

"He  has  one  alternative — he  and  his  lords.  I  trust 
that  you,  as  sensible  gentlemen,  will  find  the  means  to 
convey  to  him  your  advice  that  he  seize  the  opportunity 
I  shall  offer  him  to  escape  with  his  Hfe.  No  one  really 
wants  to  see  the  little  chap  die.  Let  me  interrupt  my- 
self to  call  to  your  attention  the  fact  that  I  am  punish- 
ing the  anarchists  at  sunset.  This  to  convince  you  that 
assassination  wdll  not  be  tolerated  in  Graustark.  To 
resume:  the  boy  may  return  to  America,  where  he  be- 
longs. He  is  more  of  an  American  than  one  of  us.  I 
will  give  him  free  and  safe  escort  to  the  United  States. 
Certain  of  his  friends  may  accompany  him ;  others 
whom  I  shall  designate  will  be  required  to  remain  here 
until  I  have  disposed  of  their  cases  as  I  see  fit.  These 
conditions  I  shall  set  forth  in  my  manifesto  to  the 
present  occupant  of  the  Castle.  If  he  chooses  to  accept 
my  kindly  terms,  all  well  and  good.  If  not,  gentlemen, 
I  shall  starve  him  out  or  blow  the  Castle  down  about 
his  smart  little  ears.  You  shudder !  Well,  I  can't  blame 
you.  I  shudder  myself  sometimes  when  I  think  of  it. 
There  will  be  a  great  deal  of  royal  blood,  you  know.  Ah, 


284  TRUXTON  KING 

that  reminds  me:  It  may  Interest  you  to  hear  that  I 
expect  to  establish  a  new  nobihty  in  Graustark.  The 
present  house  of  lords  is  objectionable  to  me.  I  trust 
I  may  now  be  addressing  at  least  a  few  of  the  future 
noble  lords  of  Graustark.  Good  day,  gentlemen.  That 
is  all  for  the  present.  Kindly  inform  me  if  any  of  my 
soldiers  or  followers  overstep  the  bounds  of  prudence. 
Rapine  and  ribaldry  will  not  be  tolerated." 

The  dignitaries  and  great  men  of  the  city  went  away, 
dazed  and  depressed,  looking  at  each  other  from  blood- 
shot eyes.  Not  one  friend  had  Marlanx  in  that  group, 
and  he  knew  it  well.  He  did  not  expect  them  to  submit 
at  once  or  even  remotely.  They  might  have  smiled, 
whereas  they  frowned,  if  they  could  have  seen  him 
pacing  the  floor  of  his  office,  the  moment  the  doors  closed 
behind  their  backs,  clenching  his  hands  and  cursing 
furiously. 

At  the  Castle  the  deepest  gloom  prevailed.  It  was  like 
a  nightmare  to  the  beleaguered  household,  a  dream  from 
which  there  seemed  to  be  no  awakening.  Colonel  Quin- 
nox's  first  act  after  posting  his  forces  in  position  to 
repel  attacks  from  the  now  well-recognised  enemy,  was 
to  make  sure  of  the  safety  of  his  royal  master.  Inside 
the  walls  of  the  Castle  grounds  he,  as  commander  of  the 
Royal  Guard,  ruled  supreme.  General  Braze  tore  off 
his  own  epaulets  and  presented  himself  to  Quinnox  as  a 
'soldier  of  the  file;  lords  and  dukes,  pages  and  ministers, 
followed  the  example  of  the  head  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment. No  one  stood  on  the  dignity  of  his  position ;  no 
one  does,  as  a  rule,  with  the  executioner  staring  him  in  the 
face.  Every  man  took  up  arms  for  the  defence  of  the 
Castle,  its  Prince  and  its  lovely  women. 

Prince  Robin,  quite  recovered  from  his  fright,  donned 
the  uniform  of  a  Colonel  of  the  Royal  Dragoons,  buckled 


TRUXTON   ON   PARADE  285 

on  his  jewelled  sword,  and,  with  boyish  zeal,  demandvid 
Colonel  Quinnox's  reasons  for  not  going  forth  to  slay  the 
rioters. 

"What  is  the  army  for,  Colonel  Quinnox?"  he  asked 
with  impatient  wonder. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  and  the  Prince  was  seated 
in  the  chair  of  state,  presiding  over  the  hurriedly  called 
Council  meeting.  Notably  absent  were  Baron  Dangloss 
and  the  Duke  of  Perse.  Chief  officers  of  the  Guard  and 
the  commissioned  men  of  the  army  were  present — that 
is,  all  of  them  who  had  not  gone  down  under  the  treach- 
erous fire. 

"Your  Highness,"  said  the  Colonel  bitterly,  "the  real 
army  is  outside  the  walls,  not  inside.  We  are  a  pitiful 
handful — less  than  three  hundred  men,  all  told,  count- 
ing the  wounded.  Count  Marlanx  heads  an  army  of 
several  thousand.     He " 

"He  wants  to  get  in  here  so's  he  can  kill  me?  Is  that 
so.  Colonel  Quinnox.'^"  The  Prince  was  very  pale,  but 
quite  calm. 

"Oh,  I  wouldn't  put  it  just  that  way,  your " 

"Oh,  I  know.  You  can't  fool  me.  I've  always  known 
that  he  wants  to  kill  me.  But  how  can  he?  That's  the 
question ;  how  can  he  when  I've  got  the  Royal  Guard  to 
keep  him  from  doing  it.^  He  can't  whip  the  Royal 
Guard.  Nobody  can.  He  ought  to  know  that.  He 
must  be  awful  stupid." 

His  perfect,  unwavering  faith  in  the  Guard  was  the 
same  that  had  grown  up  with  everj^  prince  of  Graustark 
and  would  not  be  gainsaid.  A  score  of  hearts  swelled 
with  righteous  pride  and  as  many  scabbards  rattled  as 
heels  clicked  and  hands  went  up  in  salute. 

"Your  Highness,"  said  Quinnox,  with  a  glance  at  his 
fellow-officers,  "you  may  rely  upon  it.  Count  Marlanx 


286  TRUXTON  KING 

will  never  reach  you  until  he  has  slain  every  man  In  the 
Royal  Guard." 

"And  in  the  army — our  poor  little  army,"  added  Gen- 
eral Braze. 

"Thank  3'ou,*'  said  the  Prince.  "You  needn't  have 
told  me.  I  knew  it."  He  leaned  back  in  the  big  chair, 
almost  slipping  from  the  record  books  on  which  he  sat, 
a  brave  scowl  on  his  face.  "Gee,  I  wish  he'd  attack  us 
right  now,"  he  said,  with  ingenuous  bravado. 

The  council  of  war  was  not  a  lengthy  one.  The  storm 
that  had  arisen  out  of  a  perfectly  clear  sky  was  briefly 
discussed  in  all  its  phases.  No  man  there  but  realised  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation.  Count  Halfont,  who 
seemed  ten  years  older  than  when  we  last  saw  him.,  ad- 
dressed the  Cabinet. 

"John  Tullis  is  still  outside  the  city  walls.  If  he  does 
not  fall  into  a  trap  through  ignorance  of  the  city's 
phght,  I  firmly  believe  he  will  be  able  to  organise  an 
arm}'  of  relief  among  the  peasants  and  villagers.  They 
are  loyal.  The  mountaineers  and  shepherds,  wild  fellows 
all,  are  the  ones  who  have  fallen  into  the  spider's  net. 
Count  Marlanx  has  an  army  of  aliens ;  they  are  not  even 
revolutionists.  John  Tullis,  if  given  the  opportunity, 
can  sweep  the  city  clear  of  them.  My  only  fear  is  that 
be  may  be  tricked  into  ambush  before  we  can  reach  him. 
No  doubt  Marlanx,  in  devising  a  way  to  get  him  out  of 
tthe  city,  also  thought  of  the  means  to  keep  him  out." 
'  "We  must  get  word  to  Tullis,"  cried  several  in  a  breath. 
A  dozen  men  volunteered  to  risk  their  lives  in  the  attempt 
to  find  the  American  in  the  hills.  Two  men  were  chosen 
— by  lot.     They  were  to  venture  forth  that  very  night. 

"My  lords,"  said  the  Prince,  as  the  Council  was  on  the 
point  of  dissolving,  "Is  It  all  right  for  me  to  ask  a  ques- 
tion now?" 


TRUXTON   ON   PARADE  ^87 

"Certainly,  Robin,"  said  the  Prime  Minister. 

"Well,  I'd  like  to  know  where  Mr.  King  is." 

"He's  safe,  3'our  Highness,"  said  Quinnox. 

"Aunt  Loraine  is  worried,  that's  all.  She's  sick,  you 
see — awful  sick.  Do  you  think  Mr.  King  would  be 
good  enough  to  walk  by  her  window,  so's  she  can  see  for 
herself?     She's  in  the  royal  bedchamber." 

"The  royal  bedchamber.^"  gasped  the  high  chamber- 
lain. 

"I  gave  up  my  bed  right  off,  but  she  won't  stay  in  it. 
She  sits  in  the  window  most  of  the  time.  It's  all  right 
about  the  bed.  I  spoke  to  nurse  about  it.  Besides,  I 
don't  want  to  go  to  bed  while  there's  any  fighting  going 
on.  So,  you  see,  it's  all  right.  Say,  Uncle  Caspar,  may 
I  take  a  crack  at  old  Marlanx  with  my  new  rifle  if  I 
get  a  chance.^  I've  been  practising  on  the  target  range, 
and  Uncle  Jack  says  I'm  a  reg'lar  Buffalo  Bill." 

Count  Halfont  unceremoniously  hugged  his  ^wTiggling 
grand-nephew.   A  cheer  went  up  from  the  others. 

"Long  live  Prince  Robin!"  shouted  Count  Vos  Engo, 

Prince  Robin  looked  abashed.  "I  don't  think  I  could 
hit  him,"  he  said  with  becoming  modesty.  They  laughed 
aloud.  "But,  say,  don't  forget  about" Mr.  King.  Tell 
him  I  want  him  to  parade  most  of  the  time  in  front  of 
my  windows." 

"He  has  a  weak  ankle,"  began  Colonel  Quinnox  lamely. 

"Very  difficult  for  him  to  walk,"  said  Vos  Engo,  biting 
his  hps. 

The  Prince  looked  from  face  to  face,  suspicion  in  his 
eyes.  It  dawned  on  him  that  they  were  evading  the 
point.     A  stubborn  line  appeared  between  his  brows. 

"Then  I  command  you,  Colonel  Quinnox,  to  give  him 
the  best  horse  in  the  stables.    I  want  him  to  ride." 

"It  shall  be  as  you  command,  your  Highness." 


g88  TRUXTON  KING 

A  few  minutes  later,  his  grand-uncle,  the  Prime 
Minister,  was  carrying  him  down  the  corridor;  Prince 
Robin  was  perched  upon  the  old  man's  shoulder,  and  was 
in  a  thoughtful  mood. 

"Say,  Uncle  Caspar,  Mr.  King's  all  right,  isn't  he.?" 

"He  is  a  very  brave  and  noble  gentleman,  Bobby.    We 
I  owe  to  his  valour  the  life  of  the  best  boy  in  all  the 
world." 

"Yes,  and  Aunt  Loraine  owes  him  a  lot,  too.  She  says 
so.  She's  been  crying.  Uncle  Caspar.  Say,  has  she 
just  got  to  marry  Count  Vos  Engo?" 

"My  boy,  what  put  that  question  into  your  mind.?" 

"She  says  she  has  to.  I  thought  only  princes  and 
princesses  had  to  marry  people  they  don't  want  to." 

"You  should  not  believe  all  that  you  hear." 

Bobby  was  silent  for  twenty  steps.  Then  he  said: 
"Well,  I  think  she'll  make  an  awful  mistake  if  she  lets 
Mr.  King  get  away." 

"My  boy,  we  have  other  affairs  to  trouble  us  at  present 
without  taking  up  the  affairs  of  Miss  Tullis." 

"Well,  he  saved  her  life,  just  like  they  do  in  story 
books,"  protested  the  Prince. 

"Well,  you  run  in  and  tell  her  this  minute  that  Mr, 
King  sends  his  love  to  her  and  begs  her  to  rest  easy. 
See  if  it  doesn't  cheer  her  up  a  bit." 

"Maybe  she's  worried  about  Uncle  Jack.  I  never 
thought  about  that,"  he  faltered. 

;  "Uncle  Jack  will  come  out  on  top,  never  fear,"  cried 
the  old  man. 

Half  an  hour  later,  Truxton  King,  shaven  and  sliorn, 
outfitted  and  polislicd,  received  orders  to  ride  for  twenty 
minutes  back  and  forth  across  the  Plaza.  He  came 
down  from  Colonel  Quinnox's  rooms  in  the  officer's  row, 
considerably  mystified,  and  mounted  the  handsome  bay 


TRUXTON    OX   PARADE  289 

that  he  had  brought  through  the  gates.  Haddan,  of 
the  Guard,  rode  with  him  to  the  Plaza,  but  could  offer 
no  explanation  for  the  curious  command. 

Five  times  the  now  resentful  American  walked  his  horse 
across  the  Plaza,  directly  in  front  of  the  terrace  and  the 
great  balconies.  About  him  paced  guardsmen,  armed 
and  alert ;  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  parade  ground  a 
company  of  soldiers  were  hurrying  through  the  act  of 
changing  the  Guard;  in  the  lower  balcony  excited  men 
and  women  were  walking  back  and  forth,  paying  not  the 
least  attention  to  him..  Above  him  frowned  the  grey, 
lofty  walls  of  the  Castle.  Xo  one  was  in  view  on  the 
upper  balcony,  beyond  which  he  had  no  doubt  lay  the 
royal  chambers.  He  had  the  mean,  uncomfortable  feel- 
ing that  people  were  peering  at  him  from  remote  win- 
dows. 

Suddenly  a  small  figure  in  bright  red  and  gold  and 
waving  a  tiny  sword  appeared  at  the  rail  of  the  broad 
upper  gallery.  Truxton  blinked  his  eyes  once  or  twice 
and  then  doffed  his  hat.  The  Prince  was  smiling  eagerly. 

"Hello !"  he  called.  Truxton  drew  rein  directly  below 
him. 

"I  trust  your  Highness  has  recovered  from  the  shock 
of  to-day,"  he  responded.  "I  have  been  terribh^  anxiouso 
Are  you  quite  well.^" 

"Quite  well,  thank  you."  He  hesitated  for  a  moment, 
as  if  in  doubt.  Then:  '"Say,  Mr.  King,  how's  your 
leg?" 

Truxton  looked  around  In  sudden  embarrassment.  A 
number  of  distressed,  white-faced  ladies  had  paused  in 
the  lower  gallery  and  were  staring  at  him  in  mingled 
curiosity  and  alarm.  He  Instantly  wondered  If  Colonel 
Quinnox's  riding  clothes  were  as  good  a  fit  as  he  had 
been  led  to  believe  through  Hobbs  and  others. 


290  TRUXTON  KING 

"It's — it's  fine,  thank  you,"  he  called  up,  trying  to 
subdue  his  voice  as  much  as  possible. 

Bobby  looked  a  trifle  uncertain.  His  glance  wavered 
and  a  queer  little  wrinkle  appeared  between  his  eyes. 
Ke  lowered  his  voice  when  he  next  spoke. 

"Say,  would  you  mind  shouting  that  a  little  louder,'^ 
he  called  down,  leaning  well  over  the  rail. 

Truxton  flushed.  He  was  pretty  sure  that  the  Prince 
was  not  deaf.  There  was  no  wa}^  out  of  it,  however,  so 
he  repeated  his  communication. 

"It's  all  right,  your  Highness." 

Bcbby  gave  a  quick  glance  over  his  shoulder  at  one 
of  the  broad  windows.  Truxton  distinctly  saw  the  blinds 
close  with  a  com^lsive  jerk. 

"Thanks!  Much  obliged!  Good-bye!"  sang  out  the 
Prince,  gleefully.  He  waved  his  hand  and  then  hopped 
off  the  chair  on  which  he  was  standing.  Truxton  heard 
his  little  heels  clatter  across  the  stone  balcony.  For  a 
moment  he  was  nonplused. 

"Well,  Pm— By  Jove!  I  understand!"  He  rode  off 
toward  the  barracks,  his  head  swimming  with  joy,  his 
heart  jumping  like  mad.  At  the  edge  of  the  parade 
ground  he  turned  in  his  saddle  and  audaciously  lifted 
his  hat  to  the  girl  who,  to  his  certain  knowledge,  was 
standing  behind  the  tell-tale  blind. 

"Cheer  up,  Hobbs !"  he  sang  out  in  his  new-found 
exuberance  as  he  rode  up  to  the  dismal  Englishman, 
who  moped  in  the  shade  of  the  stable  walls.  "Don't  be 
down-hearted.  Look  at  me!  Never  say  die,  that's  my 
motto." 

"That's  all  very  well,  sir,"  said  Hobbs,  removing  the 
unlightcd  pipe  from  his  lips,  "but  you  'avcn't  got  a  dog 
and  a  parrot  locked  up  in  your  rooms  with  no  one  to 
feed  them.      It  makes  me  sick,   'pon   my  soul,  sir,  to 


TRUXTON   ON   PARADE  S91 

think  of  them  dying  of  thirst  and  all  tliat,  and  me  here 
safe  and  sound,  so  to  speak." 

That  night  Haddan  and  a  fellow-subaltern  attempted 
to  leave  the  Castle  grounds  by  way  of  the  private  gate 
in  the  western  wall,  only  to  be  driven  back  by  careful 
watchers  on  the  outside.  A  second  attempt  was  made 
at  two  o'clock.  This  time  they  went  through  the  crypt 
into  the  secret  underground  passage.  As  they  crawled 
forth  into  the  blackest  of  nights,  clear  of  the  walls, 
the}'  were  met  by  a  perfect  fusillade  of  rifle  shots.  Had- 
dan's  companion  was  shot  through  the  leg  and  arm  and 
it  was  with  extreme  difficulty  that  the  pair  succeeded  in 
regaining  the  passage  and  closing  the  door.  No  other 
attempt  was  made  that  night.  Sunday  night  a  quick 
sortie  was  made,  it  being  the  hope  of  the  besieged  that 
two  selected  men  might  elude  Marlanx's  watch-dogs 
during  the  melee  that  followed.  Curiously  enough,  the 
only  men  killed  were  the  two  who  had  been  chosen  to  run 
the  gauntlet  in  the  gallant,  but  ill-timed  attempt  to 
reach  John  Tullis. 

On  Monda}'  morning  the  first  direct  word  from  Count 
Marlanx  came  to  the  Castle.  Under  a  flag  of  truce,  two 
of  his  men  were  admitted  to  the  grounds.  They  presented 
the  infamous  ultimatum  of  the  Iron  Count.  In  brief,  it 
announced  the  establishment  of  a  dictatorship  pending 
the  formal  assumption  of  the  crown  by  the  conqueror. 
With  scant  courtesy  the  Iron  Count  begged  to  inform 
Prince  Robin  that  his  rule  was  at  an  end.  Surrender 
would  result  in  his  safe  conduct  to  America,  the  home  of 
his  father;  defiance  would  just  so  surely  end  in  death 
for  him  and  all  of  his  friends.  The  Prince  was  given 
twenty-four  hours  in  which  to  surrender  his  person  to 
the  new  governor  of  the  city.  With  the  expiration  of 
the  time  hmit  mentioned,  the  Castle  would  be  shelled  from 


292  TRUXTON  KING 

the  fortress,  greatly  as  the  dictator  might  regret  the 
destruction  of  the  historic  and  well-beloved  structure. 
No  one  would  be  spared  if  it  became  necessary  to  bom- 
bard; the  rejection  of  his  offer  of  mercy  would  be  taken 
as  a  sign  that  the  defenders  were  ready  to  die  for  a  lost 
cause.  He  would  cheerfully  see  to  it  that  they  died  as 
quickly  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  course  of  govern- 
ment might  not  be  obstructed  any  longer  than  necessary. 

The  defenders  of  the  Castle  tore  his  message  in  two  and 
sent  it  back  to  him  without  disfiguring  it  by  a  single 
word  in  reply.  The  scornful  laughter  which  greeted 
the  reading  of  the  document  by  Count  Half  ont  did  not 
lose  any  of  its  force  in  the  report  that  the  truce- 
bearers  carried,  with  considerable  uneasiness,  to  the  Iron 
Count  later  on. 

No  one  in  the  Castle  was  deceived  by  Marlanx's  promise 
to  provide  safe  conduct  for  the  Prince.  They  knew 
that  the  boy  was  doomed  if  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  this 
iniquitous  old  schemer.  More  than  that,  there  was  not 
a  heart  among  them  so  faint  that  it  was  not  confident 
of  eventual  victory  over  the  usurper.  They  could  hold 
out  for  weeks  against  starvation.  Hope  is  an  able  pro- 
vider. 

A  single,  distant  volley  at  sunset  had  puzzled  the  men 
on  guard  at  the  Castle.  They  had  no  means  of  knowing 
that  the  Committee  of  Ten  and  its  wretched  friends 
had  been  shot  down  like  dogs  in  the  Public  Square. 
Peter  Brutus  was  in  charge  of  the  squad  of  executioners. 

Soon  after  the  return  of  Marlanx's  messengers  to  the 
Tower,  a  number  of  carriages  were  observed  approach- 
ing in  Castle  Avenue.  They  were  halted  a  couple  of 
hundred  yards  from  the  gates  and  once  more  a  flag  of 
truce  was  presented.  There  was  a  single  line  from 
Marlanx : 


TRUXTOX   OX   PARADE  293 

"I  am  sending  indisputable  witnesses  to  bear  testimony 
to  the  thoroughness  of  my  conquest. 

"Marlanx." 

Investigation  convinced  the  captain  of  the  Guard  that 
the  motle}'  caravan  in  the  avenue  was  made  up  of  loyal, 
representative  citizens  from  the  important  villages  of 
the  realm.  They  were  admitted  to  the  grounds  without 
question. 

The  Countess  Prandeville  of  Ganlook,  terribly  agi- 
tated, was  one  of  the  first  to  enter  the  haven  of  safety, 
such  as  it  was.  After  her  came  the  mayors  and  the 
magistrates  of  a  dozen  villages.  Count  Marlanx's  rea- 
son for  delivering  these  people  over  to  their  friends  in 
the  Castle  was  at  once  manifest. 

By  the  words  of  their  mouths  his  almost  complete 
mastery  of  the  situation  was  conveyed  to  the  Prince's 
defenders.  In  every  instance  the  representative  from 
a  village  sorrowfully  admitted  that  Marlanx's  men  were 
in  control,  Ganlook,  an  ancient  stronghold,  had  been 
taken  without  a  struggle  by  a  handful  of  men.  The 
Countess's  husband  was  even  now  confined  in  his  own 
castle  under  guard. 

The  news  was  staggering.  Count  Halfont  had  based 
his  strongest  hopes  on  the  assistance  that  would  natu- 
rally come  from  the  villages.  Moreover,  the  strangely 
commissioned  emissaries  cast  additional  gloom  over  the 
situation  by  the  report  that  mountaineers,  herdsmen  and 
woodchoppers  in  the  north  were  flocking  to  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Iron  Count,  followed  by  hordes  of  outlaws 
from  the  Axphain  hills.  They  were  swarming  into  the 
city.  These  men  had  always  been  thorns  in  the  sides  of 
the  Crown's  peace-makers. 

"It  is  worse  than  I  thought,"  said  Count  Halfont,  after 


294  TRUXTON  KING 

listening  to  the  words  of  the  excited  magistrates.    "Are 
there  no  loyal  men  outside  these  walls?" 

"Thousands,  sir,  but  they  are  not  organised.  They 
have  no  leader,  and  but  little  with  which  to  fight  against 
such  a  force." 

"It  is  hard  to  realise  that  a  force  of  three  or  four  thou- 
sand desperadoes  has  the  power  to  defy  an  entire  king- 
dom.    A  city  of  75,000  people  in  the  hands  of  hire-^ 
lings  !    The  shame  of  it !" 

Truxton  King  was  leaning  against  a  column  not  far 
from  the  little  group,  nervously  pulling  away  at  the 
pipe  Quinnox  had  given  him.  As  if  impelled  by  a  com- 
mon thought,  a  half  dozen  pairs  of  eyes  were  turned  in 
his  direction.  Their  owners  looked  as  quickly  away, 
again  moved  by  a  common  thought. 

The  Minister  of  Mines  gave  utterance  to  a  single  sen- 
tence that  might  well  have  been  called  the  epitome  of 
that  shrewd,  concentrated  thought: 

"There  must  be  some  one  who  can  get  to  John  TuUis 
before  it  is  too  late." 

They  looked  at  one  another  and  then  once  more  at  the 
American  who  had  come  among  them,  avowedly  in  quest 
of  adventure. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


TRUXTOX   EXACTS   A   PE0:MISE 


Teuxtox  Kixg  had  been  in  a  resentful  frame  of  mind 
for  nearly  forty-eight  hours.  In  the  first  place,  he  hac 
not  had  so  much  as  a  single  glimpse  of  the  girl  he  now 
worshipped  with  all  his  heart.  In  the  second  place,  he 
had  learned,  with  unpleasant  promptness,  that  Count 
Vos  Engo  was  the  officer  in  comm.and  of  the  House 
Guard,  a  position  as  gravely  responsible  as  it  was  honour- 
able. The  cordon  about  the  Castle  was  so  tightly  drawn 
in  these  perilous  hours  that  even  members  of  the  house- 
hold were  subjected  to  examination  on  leaving  or  enter- 
ing. 

Truxton  naturally  did  not  expect  to  invade  the  Castle 
in  search  of  the  crumb  of  comfort  he  so  ardently  desired ; 
he  did  not,  however,  dream  that  Vos  Engo  would  deny 
him  the  privilege  of  staring  at  a  certain  window  from  a 
rather  prim  retreat  in  a  far  corner  of  the  Plaza. 

He  had,  of  course,  proffered  his  services  to  Colonel 
Quinnox.  The  Colonel,  who  admxired  the  Americans, 
gravely  informed  him  that  there  was  no  regular  duty 
to  which  he  could  be  assigned,  but  that  he  would  expect 
him  to  hold  himself  ready  for  any  emergency.  In  case 
fof  an  assault,  he  was  to  report  to  Count  Vos  Engo. 
,  "We  will  need  our  bravest  men  at  the  Castle,"  he  had 
said.  Truxton  glowed  under  the  compliment.  "In  the 
meantime,  Mr.  King,  regain  your  strength  in  the  park. 
You  show  the  effect  of  imprisonment.  Your  adventures 
have  been  most  interesting,  but  I  fancy  they  invite  rest 
for  the  present." 

It  was  natural  that  this  new  American  should  become 


296  TRUXTON  KING 

an  object  of  tremendous  interest  to  every  one  in  and 
about  the  Castle.  The  story  of  his  mishaps  and  his 
prowess  was  on  every  lip ;  his  timely  appearance  in 
Regengetz  Circus  was  regarded  in  the  light  of  divine 
intervention,  although  no  one  questioned  the  perfectly 
human  pluck  that  brought  it  about.  Noble  ladies  smiled 
upon  him  in  the  park,  to  which  they  now  repaired  with 
timorous  hearts ;  counts  and  barons  slapped  him  on  the 
back  and  doughty  guardsmen  actually  saluted  him  with 
admiration  in  their  eyes. 

But  he  was  not  satisfied.  Loraine  had  not  come  for- 
ward witii  a  word  of  greeting  or  relief ;  in  fact,  she  had 
not  appeared  outside  the  Castle  doors.  Strangely 
enough,  with  the  entire  park  at  his  disposal,  he  chose  to 
frequent  those  avenues  nearest  the  great  balconies. 
More  than  once  he  visited  the  grotto  where  he  had  first 
seen  her ;  but  it  was  not  the  same.  The  occasional  crack 
of  a  rifle  on  the  walls  no  longer  fired  him  with  the 
interest  he  had  felt  in  the  beginning.  Forty-eight 
hours  had  passed  and  she  still  held  aloof.  What  could 
it  mean?  Was  she  ill?  Had  she  collapsed  after  the 
frightful  strain? 

Worse  than  anything  else:  was  she  devoting  all  of  her 
time  to  Count  Vos  Engo? 

Toward  dusk  on  Monday,  long  after  the  arrival  of  the 
refugees,  he  sat  in  gloomy  contemplation  of  his  own 
unhappiness,  darkly  glowering  upon  the  unfriendly 
portals  from  a  distant  stone  bench. 

A  brisk  guardsman  separated  himself  from  the  knot 
of  men  at  the  Castle  doors  and  crossed  the  Plaza  toward 
him. 

"Aha,"  thought  Truxton  warmly,  "at  last  she  is  send- 
ing a  message  to  me.  Perhaps  she's — no,  she  couldn't 
be  sending  for  me  to  come  to  her," 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        297 

Judge  his  dismay  and  anger  when  the  soldier,  a  bit 
shamefaced  himself,  briefly  announced  that  Count  Vos 
Engo  had  issued  an  order  against  loitering  in  close 
proximity  to  the  Castle.  'Mr.  King  was  inside  the  limit 
described  in  the  order.  Would  he  kindly  retire  to  a 
more  distant  spot,  etc. 

Truxton's  cheek  burned.  He  saw  in  an  instant  that 
the  order  was  meant  for  him  and  for  no  one  else — ^he 
being  the  only  outsider  likel}'  to  come  under  the  head 
of  "loiterer."  A  sharp  glance  revealed  the  fact  that 
not  only  were  the  officers  watching  the  little  scene,  but 
others  in  the  balcony  were  looking  on. 

Resisting  the  impulse  to  argue  the  point,  he  hastily 
lifted  his  hat  to  the  spectators  and  turned  into  the 
avenue  without  a  word. 

"I  am  sorry,  sir,"  mentioned  the  guardsman  earnestly. 

Truxton  turned  to  him  with  a  frank  smile,  meant  for 
the  group  at  the  steps.  "Please  tell  Count  Vos  Engo 
that  I  am  the  last  person  in  the  world  to  disregard 
discipline  at  a  time  like  this." 

His  glance  again  swept  the  balcony,  suddenly  becoming 
fixed  on  a  couple  near  the  third  column.  Count  Vos 
Engo  and  Loraine  Tullis  were  standing  there  together, 
unmistakabl}^  watching  his  humiliating  departure.  To 
say  that  Truxton  swore  softly  as  he  hurried  off  through 
the  trees  would  be  unnecessarih^  charitable. 

The  next  mornins:  he  encountered  Vos  Ens^o  near  the 
grotto.  Two  unsuccessful  attempts  to  leave  the  Castle 
grounds  had  been  made  during  the  night.  Truxton  had 
aired  his  opinion  to  Mr.  Hobbs  after  breakfast. 

"I'll  bet  my  head  I  could  get  away  with  it,"  he  had 
said*,  doubly  scornful  because  of  a  sleepless  night.  "They 
go  about  it  like  a  lot  of  chumps.  No  wonder  the}"  are 
chased  back." 


S98  TRUXTON  KING 

Catching  sight  of  Vos  Engo,  he  hastened  across  the 
avenue  and  caught  up  to  him.  The  Count  was  ap- 
parently deep  in  thought. 

"Good  morning,"  said  Truxton  from  behind.  The 
other  whirled  quickW.  He  did  not  smile  as  he  eyed  the 
tall  American.  "I  haven't  had  a  chance  to  thank  you 
for  coming  back  for  me  last  ^Saturday.  Allow  me  to 
say  that  it  was  a  very  brave  thing  to  do.  If  I  appeared 
ungrateful   at  the  time,  I'm   sure  you  understood  my 


motives." 


"The  whole  matter  is  of  no  consequence,  Mr.  King," 
said  the  other  quietly. 

"Nevertheless,  I  consider  it  my  duty  to  thank  you.  I 
want  to  get  it  out  of  my  system.  Having  purged  my- 
self of  all  that,  I  now  want  to  tell  you  of  a  discovery  that 
I  made  last  evening." 

"I  am  not  at  all  interested." 

"You  will  be  when  I  have  told  you,  however,  because 
it  concerns  3^ou." 

"I  do  not  like  your  words,  Mr.  King,  nor  the  way  in 
which  you  glare  at  me." 

"I'm  making  it  easier  to  tell  you  the  agreeable  news, 
Count  Yos  Engo;  that's  all.  You'll  be  delighted  to 
hear  that  I  thought  of  you  nearly  all  night  and  still 
feel  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  do  you  full  justice." 

"Indeed.^"  with  a  distinct  uplifting  of  the  eyebrows. 

"Take  your  hand  off  your  sword,  please.  Some  other 
/time,  perhaps,  but  not  in  these  days  when  we  need  men, 
not  cripples.  I'll  tell  you  what  I  have  discovered  and 
then  we'll  drop  the  matter  until  some  other  time.  We 
can  afford  a  physical  delay,  but  it  would  be  heartless  to 
keep  you  in  mental  suspense.  Frankly,  Count,  I  have 
made  the  gratifying  discovery  that  you  are  a  damned 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        299 

Count  Vos  Engo  went  very  white.  He  drew  his  dapper 
figure  up  to  its  full  height,  swelled  his  Robin  Redbreast 
coat  to  the  bursting  point,  and  allowed  his  right  hand 
to  fly  to  his  sword.  Then,  as  suddenly,  he  folded  his 
arms  and  glared  at  Truxton. 

•'As  you  say,  there  is  another  and  a  better  time.  "We 
need  dogs  as  well  as  men  m  these  days." 

"I  hope  you  won't  forget  that  I  thanked  you  for  com- 
ing back  last  Saturday." 

The  Count  turned  and  walked  rapidly  away. 

Truxton  leaned  against  the  low  wall  alongside  the 
'Allee.  "I  don't  know  that  I've  helped  matters  any,"  he 
said  to  himself  ruefully.  "He'll  not  let  me  get  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  Castle  after  this.  If  she  doesn't  come 
out  for  a  stroll  in  the  park,  I  fancy  I'll  never  see  her — • 
Heigho !  I  wish  something  would  happen !  WTiy 
doesn't  Marlanx  begin  bombarding.^  It's  getting 
devilish  monotonous  here." 

He  strolled  off  to  the  stables,  picking  up  Mr.  Hobbs 
on  the  way. 

"Hobbs,"  he  said,  "we've  got  to  find  John  Tullis, 
that's  all  there  is  to  it."  He  was  scowhng  fiercely  at 
a  most  inoffensive  lawn-mower  in  the  grass  at  the  left. 

"I  daresay,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Hobbs  with  sprightly  de- 
cisiveness.    "He's  very  much  needed." 

"I'm  going  to  need  him  before  long  as  my  second." 

"Your  second,  sir.'^     Are  you  going  to  fight  a  duel.^" 

"I  suppose  so,"  lugubriously.  "It's  too  much  to  expect 
him  to  meet  me  with  bare  fists.  Oh,  Hobbs,  I  wish  we 
could  arrange  it  for  bare  knucks !"  He  delivered  a 
mighty  swing  at  an  invisible  adversary.  Hobbs's  hat 
fell  off  with  the  backward  jerk  of  surprise. 

"Oh,  my  word!"  he  exclaimed  admiringly,  "wot  a 
punch  you've  got  1" 


300  TRUXTON  KING 

Later  on,  much  of  his  good  humour  was  restored  and 
his  vanity  pleased  by  a  poHte  request  from  Count 
Halfont  to  attend  an  important  council  in  the  "Room 
of  Wrangles"  that  evening  at  nine. 

Very  boldly  he  advanced  upon  the  Castle  a  few 
minutes  before  the  appointed  hour.  He  went  alone,  that 
lie  might  show  a  certain  contempt  for  Count  Vos  Engo. 
'Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  started  early  enough 
for  the  Chamber,  he  was  distressingly  late  for  the 
meeting. 

He  came  upon  Loraine  TuUis  at  the  edge  of  the 
Terrace.  She  was  walking  slowly  in  the  soft  shadows 
beyond  the  row  of  lights  on  the  lower  gallery.  King 
would  have  passed  her  without  recognition,  so  dim  was 
the  light  in  this  enchanted  spot,  had  not  his  ear  caught 
the  sound  of  a  whispered  exclamation.  At  the  same 
time  the  girl  stopped  abruptly  in  the  darkest  shadow. 
He  knew  her  at  a  glance,  this  slim  girl  in  spotless  white. 

"Loraine!"  he  whispered,  reaching  her  side  in  two 
bounds.  She  put  out  her  hands  and  he  clasped  them. 
A  quick,  hysterical  little  laugh  came  from  her  lips. 
Plainly,  she  was  confused.  "I've  been  dying  for  a 
glimpse  of  you.     Do  you  think  j^ou've  treated  me " 

"Don't,  Truxton,"  she  pleaded,  suddenly  serious.  She 
sent  a  swift  glance  toward  the  balconies.  "You  must 
not  come  here.  I  saw — well,  you  know.  I  was  so 
ashamed.     I  was  so  sorry." 

He  still  held  her  hands.  His  heart  was  throbbing 
furiously. 

"Yes,  thev  ordered  me  to  move  on,  as  if  I  were  a  com- 
mon loafer,"  he  said,  with  a  soft  chuckle.  "I'm  used 
to  it,  however.  They  ran  me  out  of  Meshed  for  taking 
snapshots  ;  they  banished  me  from  Damascus,  and  they 
all  but  kicked  me  out  of  Jerusalem — I  won't  say  why. 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        301 

But  where  have  you  kept  3^ourself?  Why  have  you 
avoided  me?  After  getting  the  Prince  to  parade  me 
in  front  of  your  windows,  too.    It's  dirt  mean,  Loraine." 

"I  have  been  ill,  Truxton — truly,  I  have,"  she  said 
quickly,  uneasily. 

"See  here,  what's  wrong?  You  are  in  trouble.  I  cap 
tell  by  your  manner.     Tell  me — trust  me." 

"I  am  worried  so  dreadfully  about  John,"  she  faltered. 

"That  isn't  all,"  he  declared.  "There's  something 
else.  What  promise  did  you  make  to  Vos  Engo  last 
Saturday  after — well,  If  3^ou  choose  to  recall  it — after 
I  brought  you  back  to  him — what  did  you  promise 
him?" 

"Don't  be  cruel,  Truxton,"  she  pleaded.  "I  cannot 
forget  all  you  have  done  for  me." 

"You  told  Vos  Engo  to  ride  back  and  pick  me  up," 
he  persisted.  "He  told  me  in  so  many  words.  Now,  I 
want  a  plain  answer,  Loraine.  Did  you  promise  to 
reward  him  if  he — well,  if  he  saved  me  from  the  mob?" 

She  was  breathlessly  silent  for  a  moment.  "No,"  she 
said,  in  a  low"  voice. 

"What  was  it,  then  ?  I  must  know,  Loraine."  He  was 
bending  over  her,  imperiously. 

"I  am  very — oh,  so  very  unhappy,  Truxton,"  she 
murmured.  He  was  on  the  point  of  clasping  her  in  his 
arms  and  kissing  her.     But  he  thought  better  of  it. 

"I  came  near  spoiling  everything  just  now,"  he 
whispered  hoarsely. 

"What?" 

"I  almost  kissed  you,  Loraine, — I  swear  it  was  hard 
to  keep  from  it.     That  would  have  spoiled  everything." 

"Yes,  it  would,"  she  agreed  quickly. 

"I'm  not  going  to  kiss  you  until  you  have  told  me  you 
love  Vos  Engo." 


S02  TRUXTON  KING 

"I — I  don't  understand,"  she  cried,  drawing  back  an5 
looking  up  into  his  face  with  bewildered  eyes. 

"Because  then  I'll  be  sure  that  you  love  me." 

"Be  sensible,  Truxton." 

"I'll  know  that  3'ou  promised  to  love  him  if  he'd  save 
me.  It's  as  clear  as  da}^  to  me.  You  did  tell  him  you'd 
marry  him  if  he  got  me  to  a  place  of  safety." 

"No.  I  refused  to  marry  him  if  he  did  not  save  you. 
Oh,  Truxton,  I  am  so  miserable.  What  is  to  become  of 
all  of  «s  ?  What  is  to  become  of  John,  and  Bobby — 
and  you.^" 

"I — I  think  I'll  kiss  ycu  now,  Loraine,"  he  whispered 
almost  tremulously.  "God,  how  I  love  you,  little 
darling !" 

"Don't !"  she  whispered,  resolutely  pushing  him  away 
after  a  sweet  second  of  indecision.  "I  cannot — I  cannot, 
Truxton  dear.  Don't  ask  me  to — to  do  that.  Not 
now,  please — not  now  !" 

He  stiffened;  his  hands  dropped  to  his  sides,  but  there 
was  joy  in  his  voice. 

"I  can  wait,"  he  said  gently.  "It's  only  a  matter  of 
a  few  days ;  and  I — I  won't  make  it  any  harder  for  you 
just  now.  I  think  I  understand.  You've — ^^ou've  sort 
of  pledged  yourself  to  that — to  him,  and  you  don't 
think  it  fair  to — well,  to  any  of  us.  I'm  including  you, 
you  see.  I  know  you  don't  love  him,  and  I  know  that 
you're  going  to  love  me,  even  if  you  don't  at  this  very 
instant.  I'm  not  a  very  stupid  person,  after  all.  I  can 
see  through  things.  I  saw  through  it  all  when  he  came 
back  for  me.  That's  why  I  jumped  from  his  horse  and 
took  my  chances  elsewhere.  He  did  a  plucky  thing, 
Loraine,  but  I — I  couldn't  let  it  go  as  he  intended  it  to 
be.  Confound  him,  I  would  have  died  a  thousand  times 
over  rather  than  have  you  sacrifice  yourself  in  that  way. 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        303 

It  was  splendid  of  you,  darling,  but — but  very  foolish. 
You've  got  yourself  into  a  dreadful  mess  over  it.  I've 
got  to  rescue  you  all  over  again.  This  time,  thank  the 
Lord,  from  a  Castle." 

She  could  not  help  smiling.  His  joyousness  would  not 
be  denied. 

"How  splendid  you  are!"  she  said,  her  voice  thrilling 
with  a  tone  that  could  not  be  mistaken. 

He  put  his  hands  upon  her  shoulders  and  looked  down 
into  the  beautiful,  upturned  face,  a  genuinely  serious 
note  creeping  into  his  voice  when  he  spoke  again. 

'"Don't  misconstrue  my  light-heartedness,  dearest.  It's 
a  habit  with  me,  not  a  fault.  I  see  the  serious  side  to 
your  affair — as  you  view  it.  You  have  promised  to 
marry  Vos  Engo.  You'll  have  to  break  that  promise. 
He  didn't  save  me.  Colonel  Quinnox  would  have  ac- 
complished it,  in  an}^  event.  He  can't  hold  you  to  such 
a  silly  pledge.  You — you  haven't  by  any  chance  told 
him  that  you  love  him?"  He  asked  this  in  sudden 
anxiety. 

"Really,  Truxton,  I  cannot  discuss " 

"No,  I'm  quite  sure  you  haven't,"  he  announced  con- 
tentedl}'.  "You  couldn't  have  done  that,  I  know.  Now, 
I  want  you  to  make  me  a  promise  that  you'll  keep." 

"Oh,  Truxton — don't  ask  me  to  say  that  I'll  be  your 
— "  She  stopped,  painfully  embarrassed. 

"That  will  come  later,"  he  said  consolingly.  "I  want 
you  to  promise,  on  3'our  sacred  word  of  honour,  that 
you'll  kiss  no  man  until  you've  kissed  me." 

"Oh !"  she  murmured,  utterly  speechless. 

"Promise !" 

"I — I  cannot  promise  that,"  she  said  in  tones  almost 
inaudible.  "I  am  not  sure  that  I'll  ever — ever  kiss  any- 
body-.   How  silly  you  are !" 


304  TRUXTON  KING 

"I'll  make  exception  in  the  case  of  your  brother — and, 
yes,  the  Prince." 

"I'll  not  make  such  a  promise,"  she  cried. 

"Then,  I'll  be  hanged  if  I'll  save  you  from  the  ridicu- 
lous mess  you've  gotten  yourself  into,"  he  announced 
with  finality.  "Moreover,  3'ou're  not  yet  safe  from  old 
Marlanx.     Think  it  over,  ni}' " 

"Oh,  he  cannot  seize  the  Castle — it  is  impossible!"  she 
cried  in  sudden  terror. 

"I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  he  said  laconically. 

"What  is  it  you  really  want  me  to  say?"  she  asked, 
looking  up  with  sudden  shyness  in  her  starr}^  e^^es. 

"That  you  love  me — and  me  only,  Loraine,"  he 
whispered. 

"I  will  not  say  it,"  she  cried,  breaking  away  from 
him.  "But,"  as  she  ran  to  the  steps,  a  delicious  tremor 
in  her  voice — "I  will  consider  the  other  thing  you  ask." 

"Darling — don't  go,"  he  cried,  in  eager,  subdued 
tones,  but  she  already  was  half  way  across  the  balcony. 
In  a  moment  she  was  gone.  "Poor,  harassed  little 
sweetheart !"  he  murmured,  with  infinite  tenderness.  For 
a  long  time  he  stood  there,  looking  at  the  window 
through  which  she  had  disappeared,  his  heart  full  of 
song. 

Then,  all  at  once,  he  remembered  the  meeting.  "Great 
Scott!"  in  dismay.  "I'm  late  for  the  pow-wow."  A 
twisted  smile  stole  over  his  face.  "I  wonder  how  they've 
managed  to  get  along  without  me."  Then  he  presented 
himself,  somewhat  out  of  breath,  to  the  attendants  at 
the  south  doors,  where  he  had  been  directed  to  report.  A 
moment  later  he  was  in  the  Castle  of  Graustark,  follow- 
ing a  stiff -backed  soldier  through  mediaeval  halls  of 
marble,  past  the  historic  staircase,  down  to  the  door  of 
the  council  chamber.     He  was  filled  with  the  most  de- 


TRUXTON-  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        305 

licious  sensation  of  awe  and  reverence.  Only  in  his 
dearest  dreams  had  he  fancied  himself  in  these  cherished 
halls.  And  now  he  was  there — actually  treading  the 
same  mosaic  floors  that  had  known  the  footsteps  of 
countless  princes  and  princesses,  his  nostrils  tingling 
with  the  rare  incense  of  five  centuries,  his  blood  leaping 
to  the  call  of  a  thousand  romances.  The  all  but  mythical 
halls  of  Graustark — the  sombre,  vaulted,  time-defying 
corridors  of  his  fancy.  Somewhere  in  this  vast  pile  of 
stone  was  the  girl  he  loved.  Each  shadowy  nook,  each 
velvety  recess,  seemed  to  glow  with  the  wizardry  of  love- 
lamps  that  had  been  hghted  with  the  building  of  the 
Castle.  How  many  hearts  had  learned  the  wistful  les- 
son in  these  aged  halls.?  How  many  loves  had  been 
sheltered  here? 

He  walked  on  air.  He  pinched  himself — and  even 
then  was  not  certain  that  he  was  awake.  It  was  too 
good  to  be  true. 

He  was  ushered  into  a  large,  sedately  furnished  room. 
A  score  of  men  were  there  before  him — sitting  or  stand- 
ing in  attitudes  of  attention,  listening  to  the  words  of 
General  Braze.  King's  entrance  was  the  signal  for  an 
immediate  transfer  of  interest.  The  General  bowed 
most  politely  and  at  once  turned  to  Count  Half ont  with 
the  remark  that  he  had  quite  finished  his  suggestions. 
The  Prime  Minister  came  forward  to  greet  the  momen- 
tarily shy  American.  King  had  time  to  note  that  the 
only  man  who  denied  him  a  smile  of  welcome  was  Count 
Vos  Engo.  He  promptly  included  his  rival  in  his  own 
sweeping,  self-conscious  smile. 

"The  Council  has  been  extolling  you,  Mr.  King,"  said 
the  Prime  Minister,  leading  him  to  a  seat  near  his  own. 
Truxton  sat  down,  bewildered.  "We  may  some  day 
grow   large   enough  to    adequately   appreciate   the   in- 


306  TRUXTON  KING 

valuable  service  you  have  performed  in  behalf  of  Grau- 
stark." 

Truxton  blushed.  He  could  think  of  nothing  to  say, 
except :  "I'm  sorr}-  to  have  been  so  late.  I  was  de- 
tained." 

Involuntarily  he  glanced  at  Vos  Engo.  That  gentle- 
man started,  a  curious  light  leaping  into  his  eyes. 

"Mr.  King,  we  have  asked  you  here  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing  the  full  stor}-  of  3'our  experiences  during  the 
past  two  weeks,  if  you  will  be  so  good  as  to  relate  them. 
We  have  had  them  piecemeal.  I  need  not  tell  you  that 
Graustark  is  in  the  deepest  peril.  If  there  is  a  single 
suggestion  that  you  can  make  that  will  help  her  to- 
night, I  assure  3'ou  that  it  will  be  given  the  most  grate- 
ful consideration.  Graustark  has  come  to  know  and 
respect  the  resourcefulness  and  courage  of  the  American 
gentleman.     We  have  seen  him  at  his  best." 

"I  have  really  done  no  more  than  to — er — save  my 
own  neck,''  said  Truxton  simply.  "Any  one  might  be 
excused  for  doing  the  same.  Graustark  owes  a  great 
deal  more  to  Miss  Tullis  than  it  does  to  me,  believe  me, 
my  lords.     She  had  the  courage,  I  the  strength." 

"Be  assured  of  our  attitude  toward  Miss  Tullis,"  said 
Halfont  in  reply.  "Graustark  loves  her.  It  can  do  no 
more  than  that.  It  is  from  ?Jiss  Tullis  that  we  have 
learned  the  extent  of  your  valorous  achievements.  Ah, 
my  dear  young  friend,  she  has  given  you  a  fair  name. 
She  tells  us  of  a  miracle  and  we  are  convinced." 

Truxton  stammered  his  remonstrances,  but  glowed  with 
joy  and  pride. 

"Here  is  the  situation  in  a  nutshell,"  went  on  the  Prime 
Minister.  "We  are  doomed  unless  succor  reaches  us 
from  the  outside.  We  have  discussed  a  Inindred  proj- 
ects.    While  we  are  inactive.  Count  ^larlanx  is  gaining 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        307 

more  power  and  a  greater  hold  over  the  people  of  the 
city.  We  have  no  means  of  communication  with  Prince 
Dantan  of  Dawsbergen,  who  is  our  friend.  We  seem 
unable  to  get  warning  to  John  Tullis,  who,  if  given 
time,  might  succeed  in  collecting  a  sufficient  force  of 
loyal  countrymen  to  harass  and  eventually  overthrow 
the  Dictator.  Unless  he  is  reached  before  long,  John 
Tulhs  and  his  combined  force  of  soldiers  will  be  am- 
bushed and  destroyed.  I  am  loth  to  speak  of  another 
alternative  that  has  been  discussed  at  length  by  the 
ministers  and  their  friends.  The  Duke  of  Perse,  from 
a  bed  of  pain  and  anguish,  has  counselled  us  to  take 
steps  in  the  direction  I  am  about  to  speak  of.  You  seCj 
we  are  taking  3'ou  into  our  confidence,  Mr.  King. 

"We  can  appeal  to  Russia  in  this  hour  of  stress. 
Moreover,  we  may  expect  that  help  will  be  forthcoming. 
But  we  will  have  to  make  an  unpleasant  sacrifice.  Russia 
is  eager  to  take  over  our  new  issue  of  railway  bonds. 
Hitherto,  we  have  voted  against  disposing  of  the  bonds 
in  that  country,  the  reason  being  obvious.  St.  Peters- 
burg wants  a  new  connecting  line  with  her  possessions 
in  Afghanistan.  Our  line  will  provide  a  most  direct 
route — a  cut-off,  I  believe  they  call  it.  Last  year  the 
Grand  Duke  Paulus  volunteered  to  provide  the  money 
for  the  construction  of  the  line  from  Edelweiss  north 
to  Balak  on  condition  that  Russia  be  given  the  right  to 
use  the  line  in  connection  with  her  own  roads  to  the 
Orient.  You  may  see  the  advantage  in  this  to  Russia. 
Mr.  King,  if  I  send  word  to  the  Grand  Duke  Paulus, 
agreeing  to  his  terms,  which  still  remain  open  to  us, 
signing  away  a  most  valuable  right  in  what  we  had 
hoped  would  be  our  own  individual  property,  we  have 
ever\"  reason  to  believe  that  he  will  send  armed  forces 
to  our  relief,  on  the  pretext  that  Russia  is  defending 


308  TRUXTON  KING 

properties  of  her  own.  That  is  one  way  in  which  we 
ma}^  oust  Count  Marlanx.  The  other  hes  in  the  abihty 
of  John  TulHs  to  give  battle  to  him  with  our  own  people 
carrying  the  guns.  I  am  confident  that  Count  Marlanx 
will  not  bombard  the  Castle  except  as  a  last  resort.  He 
will  attempt  to  starve  us  into  submission  first ;  but  he 
will  not  destroy  property  if  he  can  help  it.  I  have  been 
as  brief  as  possible.  Lieutenant  Haddan  has  told  us 
quite  lately  of  a  remark  you  made  which  he  happened  to 
overhear.  If  I  quote  him  correctly,  3^ou  said  to  the 
Englishman  Hobbs  that  you  could  get  away  with  it, 
meaning,  as  I  take  it,  that  you  could  succeed  in  reaching 
John  Tullis.  The  remark  interested  me,  coming  as  it 
did  from  one  so  resourceful.  May  I  not  implore  you  to 
tell  us  how  you  would  go  about  it?" 

Truxton  had  turned  a  brick  red.  Shame  and  mortifica- 
tion surged  within  him.  He  was  cruelly  conscious  of  an 
undercurrent  of  irony  in  the  Premier's  courteous  re- 
quest. For  an  instant  he  was  sorely  crushed.  A  low 
laugh  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  sent  a  shaft 
to  his  soul.  He  looked  up.  Vos  Engo  was  still  smiling. 
In  an  instant  the  American's  blood  boiled;  his  manner 
changed  like  a  flash;  blind,  unreasoning  bravado  suc- 
ceeded embarrassment. 

He  faced  Count  Halfont  coolly,  almost  impudently. 
"I  think  I  was  unfortunate  enough  to  add  that  your 
men  were  going  about  it — well,  like  amateurs,"  he  said, 
with  a  frank  smile.  "I  meant  no  offense."  Then  he 
arose  suddenly,  adjusted  his  necktie  with  the  utmost 
sang  froid,  and  announced: 

"I  did  say  I  could  get  to  John  Tullis.  If  you  like, 
I'll  start  to-night." 

His  words  created  a  profound  impression,  they  came 
so    abruptly.      The   men    stared   at   him,   then   at   each 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        309 

other.  It  was  as  if  he  had  read  their  thoughts  and  had 
jumped  at  once  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  baiting 
him.  Ever}^  one  began  talking  at  once.  Soon  some 
one  began  to  shake  his  hand.  Then  there  were  cheers 
and  a  dozen  handshakings.  Truxton  grimly  realised 
that  he  had  done  just  what  they  had  expected  him  to  do. 
He  tried  to  look  unconcerned. 

"You  will  require  a  guide,"  said  Colonel  Quinnox,  who 
had  been  studying  the  degage  American  in  the  most 
earnest  manner. 

"Send  for  Mr.  Hobbs,  please,"  said  Truxton. 

A  messenger  was  sent  post  haste  to  the  barracks.  The 
news  already  was  spreading  throughout  the  Castle.  The 
chamber  door  was  wide  open  and  men  were  coming  and 
going.  Eager  women  were  peering  through  the  door- 
way for  a  glimpse  of  the  American. 

"There  should  be  three  of  us,"  said  King,  addressing 
the  men  about  him.     "One  of  us  is  sure  to  get  away." 

"There  is  not  a  man  here — or  in  the  service — who  will 
not  gladly  accompany  you,  Mr.  King,"  cried  General 
Braze  quickly. 

"Count  Vos  Engo  is  the  man  I  would  choose,  if  I  may 
be  permitted  the  honour  of  naming  my  companion," 
said  Truxton,  grinning  inwardly  with  a  malicious  joy. 

Vos  Engo  turned  a  yellowish  green.     His  eyes  bulged. 

"I — I  am  in  command  of  the  person  of  his  Royal 
Highness,"  he  stammered,  suddenly  going  very  red. 

"I  had  forgotten  your  present  occupation,"  said  Trux- 
ton quietly.  "Pray  pardon  the  embarrassment  I  may 
have  caused  you.  After  all,  I  think  Hobbs  will  do. 
He  knows  the  country  like  a  book.  Besides,  his  busi- 
ness in  the  city  must  be  very  dull  just  now.  He'U  be 
glad  to  have  the  chance  to  personally  conduct  me  for  a 
few  days.    As  an  American  tourist,  I  must  insist,  gentle- 


310  TRUXTON  KING 

men,  on  being  personally  conducted  by  a  man  from 
Cook's." 

Ther  did  not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  to  treat  it  as 
a  ser;</iis  announcement. 

Mr.  Hobbs  came.  That  is  to  say,  he  was  produced. 
It  is  doubtful  if  yir.  Hobbs  ever  fully  recovered  from 
the  malady  commonly  known  as  stage  fright.  He  had 
never  been  called  Mr.  Hobbs  by  a  Prime  Minister  be- 
fore, nor  had  he  ever  been  asked  in  person  by  a  Minister 
of  War  if  he  had  a  family  at  home.  Moreover,  no  as- 
semblage of  noblemen  had  ever  condescended  to  unite  in 
three  cheers  for  him.  Afterward  Truxton  King  was 
obliged  to  tell  him  that  he  had  unwaveringly  volunteered 
to  accori)piny  him  on  the  perilous  trip  to  the  hills.  Be 
sure  of  3^4  Mr.  Hobbs  was  not  in  a  mental  condition 
for  msLlif  hours  to  even  remotely  comprehend  what  had 
taken  pkce.  He  only  knew  that  he  had  been  invited, 
as  an  English  gentleman,  to  participate  in  a  council  of 
war. 

But  Mr.  Hobbs  was  not  the  kind  to  falter,  once  he  had 
given  his  word ;  however  hazy  he  may  have  been  at  the 
moment,  he  knew  that  he  had  volunteered  to  do  some- 
thing. Nor  did  it  seem  to  surprise  him  when  he  finally 
found  out  what  it  was. 

"We'll  be  off  at  midnight,  Hobbs,"  said  Truxton,  feel- 
ing in  his  pocket  for  the  mussing  watch. 

"As  you  say,  Mr.  King,  just  as  you  say,"  said  Hobbs 
with  fine  indifference. 

As  Truxton  was  leaving  the  Castle  ten  minutes  later, 
Hobbs  having  gone  before  to  see  to  the  packing  of 
food-bags  and  the  filling  of  flasks,  a  brisk,  eager-faced 
young  attendant  hurried  up  to  him. 

"I  bear  a  message  from  his  Royal  Highness,"  said  the 
attendant,  detaining  him. 


TRUXTON  EXACTS  A  PROMISE        311 

"He  should  be  sound  asleep  at  this  time,"  said  TruxtoR, 
surprised. 

"His  Roj^al  Highness  insists  on  staying  awake  as  lang 
as  possible,  sir.  It  is  far  past  his  bedtime,  but  these 
are  troublesome  times,  he  says.  Every  man  should  do 
his  part.     Prince  Robin  has  asked  for  you,  sir." 

"How's  that.?" 

"He  desires  you  to  appear  before  him  at  once,  sir." 

"In — in  the  audieace  chamber.^" 

"In  his  bedchamber,  sir.  He  is  very  sleepy,  but  says 
that  you  are  to  come  to  him  before  starting  away  on 
your  mission  of  danger." 

"Plucky  little  beggar !"  cried  Truxton,  his  heart  swell- 
ing with  love  for  the  royal  youngster. 

"Sir!"  exclaimed  the  attendant,  his  eyes  wide  with 
amazement  and  reproof. 

"I'll  see  him,"  said  the  other  promptly,  as  if  he  were 
granting  the  audience. 

He  followed  the  perplexed  attendant  up  the  grand 
staircase,  across  thickly  carpeted  halls  in  which  posed 
statuesque  soldiers  of  the  Royal  Guard,  to  the  door  of 
the  Prince's  bedchamber.  Here  he  was  confronted  by 
Count  Vos  Engo. 

"Enter,"  said  Vos  Engo,  with  very  poor  grace,  stand- 
ing aside.  The  sentinels  grounded  their  arms  and  Trux- 
ton King  passed  into  the  royal  chamber,  alone. 


CHAPTER  XX 

BY  THE  WATEE-GATE 

It  was  a  vast,  lofty  apartment,  regal  in  its  subdued 
lights.  An  enormous,  golden  bed  with  gorgeous  hang- 
ings stood  far  down  the  room.  So  huge  was  this  royal 
couch  that  Truxton  at  first  overlooked  the  figure  sitting 
bolt  upright  in  the  middle  of  it.  The  tiny  occupant 
called  out  in  a  very  sleepy  voice: 

"Here  I  am,  Mr.  King.  Gee,  I  hate  a  bed  as  big  as 
this.     They  just  make  me  sleep  in  it." 

An  old  woman  advanced  from  the  head  of  the  couch 
and  motioned  Truxton  to  approach. 

"I  am  deeply  honoured,  your  Highness,"  said  the 
visitor,  bov>^ing  very  low.  Through  the  windows  he 
could  see  motionless  soldiers  standing  guard  in  the 
balcony. 

"Come  over  here,  Mr.  King.  Nurse  won't  let  me  get 
up.  Excuse  my  nighty,  will  you,  please?  I'm  to  have 
pajamas  next  winter." 

Truxton  advanced  to  the  side  of  the  bed.  His  eyes 
had  swept  the  room  in  search  of  the  one  person  he 
wanted  most  to  see  of  all  in  the  world.  An  old  male 
servitor  was  drawing  the  curtains  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  room.  There  was  no  one  else  there,  except  the 
nurse.  They  seemed  as  much  a  part  of  the  furnish- 
ings of  this  room  as  if  they  had  been  fixtures  from  the 
beginning. 

"I  am  sure  you  will  like  them,"  said  Truxton,  wonder- 
ing whether  she  were  divinely  secreted  in  one  of  the 
great,  heavily  draped  window  recesses.  She  had  been 
in  this  room  but  recently.    A  subtle,  delicate,  enchanting 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  313 

perfume  that  he  had  noticed  earlier  in  the  evening — ah, 
he  would  never  forget  it. 

The  Prince's  legs  were  now  hanging  over  the  edge  of 
the  bed.  His  eyes  were  dancing  with  excitement ;  sleep 
was  momentarily  routed. 

"Say,  Mr.  King,  I  wish  I  was  going  with  you  to  find 
Uncle  Jack.  You  will  find  him,  won't  you.^  Fm  going 
to  say  it  in  my  prayers  to-night  and  every  night.  They 
won't  hardly  let  me  leave  this  room.  It's  rotten  lucko 
I  want  to  fight,  too." 

"We  are  all  fighting  for  you.  Prince  Robin." 
"I  want  you  to  find  Uncle  Jack,  Mr.  King,"  went  on 
Bobby  eagerly.     "And  tell  him  I  didn't  mean  it  when 
I  banished  him  the  other  day.    I  really  and  truly  didn't." 
He  was  having  difficulty  in  keeping  back  the  tears. 

"I  shall  dehver  the  message,  your  Highness,"  said 
Truxton,  his  heart  going  out  to  the  unhappy  youngster. 
"Rest  assured  of  that,  please.  Go  to  sleep  and  dream 
that  I  have  found  him  and  am  bringing  him  back  to 
you.     The  dream  will  come  true." 

"Are  you  sure?"  brightening  perceptibly. 

"Positively." 

"Americans  always  do  what  they  say  they  will,"  said 
the  boy,  his  eyes  snapping.  "Here's  something  for  you 
to  take  with  you,  Mr.  King.  It's  my  lucky  stone.  It 
always  gives  good  luck.  Of  course,  you  must  promise 
to  bring  it  back  to  me.    It's  an  omen." 

He  unclasped  his  small  fingers ;  in  the  damp  palm  lay 
one  of  those  peculiarly  milky,  half -transparent  pebbles, 
common  the  world  over  and  of  value  only  to  small,  im- 
pressionable boys.  Truxton  accepted  it  with  profound 
gravity. 

"I  found  it  last  4th  of  July,  when  we  were  celebrating 
out  there  in  the  park.     I'm  always  going  to  have  a  4!tb 


314  TRUXTON  KING 

of  July  here.  Don't  you  lose  it,  Mr.  King,  and  you'll 
have  good  luck.  Baron  Dangloss  says  it's  the  luckiest 
kind  of  a  stone.  And  when  you  come  back,  Mr.  King^ 
I'm  going  to  knight  you.  I'd  do  it  now,  only  Aunt 
Loraine  says  you'd  be  worrying  about  your  title  all  the 
time  and  might  be  'stracted  from  your  mission.  I'm 
going  to  make  a  baron  of  you.  That's  higher  than  a 
count  in  Graustark.     Vos  Engo  is  onl}^  a  count." 

Truxton  started.  He  looked  narrowly  into  the  frank, 
engaging  e^^es  of  the  bo^^  in  the  nighty. 

"I  shall  be  overwhelmed,"  he  said.  Then  his  hand  went 
to  his  mouth  in  the  vain  effort  to  cover  the  smile  that 
played  there. 

"My  mother  used  to  say  that  American  girls  liked 
titles,"  said  the  Prince  with  ingenuous  candor. 

"Yes  .^"    He  hoped  that  she  was  eavesdropping. 

"Nurse  said  that  I  was  not  to  keep  you  long,  Mr. 
King,"  said  the  Prince  ruefully.  "I  suppose  you  are 
very  busy  getting  ready.  I  just  wanted  to  give  you  my 
lucky  stone  and  tell  you  about  being  a  baron.  I  won't 
have  any  luck  till  you  come  back.  Tell  Mr.  Hobbs  I'm 
thinking  of  making  him  a  count.  You're  awful  brave, 
Mr.  King." 

"Thank  you.  Prince  Robin.  INIay  I — "  he  glanced  un- 
easily at  the  distant  nurse — "may  I  ask  how  your 
Aunt  Loraine  is  feeling?" 

"She  acted  very  funny  when  I  sent  for  you.  I'm  wor^ 
rled  about  her." 

"WTiat  did  she  do,  your  Highness?" 

"She  rushed  off  to  her  room.  I  think,  Mr.  King,  she 
was  getting  ready  to  cry  or  something.  You  see,  she's 
in  trouble." 

"In  trouble?" 

"Yes.     I  can't  tell  you  about  it." 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  315 

about    her    brother,    of    course — and 
you." 

"I  just  wish  I  could  tell  you — no,  I  won't.  It  wouldn't 
be  fair,"  Bobby  said,  checking  himself  resolutely.  "She's 
awful  proud  of  you.    I'm  sure  she  likes  you,  Mr.  King." 

"I'm  very,  very  glad  to  hear  that." 

Bobby  had  great  difficulty  in  keeping  his  most  secret 
impressions  to  himself.  In  fact,  he  floundered  painfully 
in  an  attack  on  diplomacy. 

"You  should  have  seen  her  when  Uncle  Caspar  came 
in  to  say  you  were  going  off  to  find  her  brother.  She 
cried.  Yes,  sir,  she  did.  She  kissed  me  and — but  you 
don't  like  to  hear  silly  things  about  girls,  do  you  ?  Great 
big  men  never  do." 

"I've  heard  enough  to  make  me  want  to  do  something 
very  silly  myself,"  said  Truxton,  radiant.  "I — I  don't 
suppose  I  could — er — rsee  your  Aunt  Loraine  for  a 
few  minutes.^" 

"I  think  not.  She  said  she  just — now,  you  mustn't 
mind  her,  Mr.  King — she  just  couldn't  bear  it,  that's 
all.  She  told  m^e  to  say  she'd  pray  for  you  and —  Oh, 
Mr.  King,  I  do  hope  she  won't  marry  that  other  m.an  1" 

Truxton  bent  his  knee.  "Your  Highness,  as  it  seem^ 
I  am  not  to  see  her,  and  as  you  seem  to  be  the  very  best 
friend  I  have,  I  should  very  much  like  to  ask  a  great 
favour  of  you.  Will  you  take  this  old  ring  of  mine 
and  wish  it  on  her  finger  just  as  soon  as  I  have  left 
your  presence?" 

"How  did  you  know  she  was  coming  in  again?"  in 
wide-eyed  wonder.  "Excuse  m.e.  I  shouldn't  ask  ques- 
tions. What  shall  I  wish?"  It  was  the  old  ring  that 
had  come  from  Spantz's  shop.  The  Prince  promptly  hid 
it  beneath  the  pillow. 

"I'll  leave  that  to  you,  my  best  of  friends.'* 


816  TRUXTON  KING 

"I  bet  it'll  be  a  good  wish,  all  right.  I  know  what  to 
wish." 

"I  believe  3'ou  do.  Would  you  mind  giving  her  some- 
thing else  from  me?"  He  hesitated  before  venturing  the 
second  request.  Then,  overswept  by  a  warm,  sweet  im- 
pulse, he  stepped  forward,  took  the  boy's  face  between 
his  eager  hands,  and  pressed  a  kiss  upon  his  forehead. 
''Give  her  that  for  me,  will  you,  Prince  Robin  Goodfellow." 
Bobby  beamed.   "But  I  never  kiss  her  there!'* 

"I  shall  be  ten  thousand  times  obliged,  your  Highness, 
if  you  will  deliver  it  in  the  usual  place." 

"I'll  do  it!"  almost  shouted  the  Prince.  Then  he 
clapped  his  hand  over  his  mouth  and  looked,  pop-eyed 
with  apprehension,  toward  the  nurse. 

"Then,  good-bye  and  God  bless  you,"  said  Truxton. 
"I  must  be  off.  Your  Uncle  Jack  is  waiting  for  me,  up 
there  in  the  hills." 

Bobby's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "Oh,  Mr.  King,  please 
give  him  my  love  and  make  him  hurry  back.  I — I  need 
him  awful !" 

Truxton  found  Mr.  Hobbs  in  a  state  bordering  on 
collapse. 

"I  say,  Mr.  King,  it's  all  right  to  say  we'll  go,  but 
how  the  deuce  are  we  to  do  it  ?  My  word,  there's  no  more 
chance  of  getting  out  of  the " 

"Listen,  Hobbs:  we're  going  to  swim  out,"  said  Trux- 
ton. He  was  engaged  in  stuffing  food  into  a  knapsack. 
Colonel  Quinnox  and  Haddan  had  been  listening  to 
Hobbs's  lamentations  for  half  an  hour,  in  King's  room. 

"Swim?  Oh,  I  say  !  By  hokey,  he's  gone  clean  daffy !" 
Hobbs  was  eyeing  him  with  &larm.  The  others  looked 
hard  at  the  speaker,  scenting  a  joke. 

"Not  yet,  Hobbs.  Later  on,  perhaps.  I  had  occasion 
to  make  a  short  tour  of  investigation  this  afternoon, 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  317 

Doubtless,  gentlemen,  you  know  where  the  water-gate 
is,  back  of  the  Castle.  Well,  I've  looked  it  over — and 
under,  I  might  say.  Hobbs,  you  and  I  will  sneak  under 
those  slippery  old  gates  like  a  couple  of  eels.  I  forgot 
to  ask  if  you  can  swim." 

"To  be  sure  I  can.     Under  the  gates?    My  word  1" 

"Simple  as  rolhng  off  a  log,"  said  Truxton  carelessly. 
"The  Cascades  and  Basin  of  Venus  run  out  through  the 
gate.  There  is  a  space  of  at  least  a  foot  below  the 
bottom  of  the  gate,  which  hasn't  been  opened  in  fifty 
years,  I'm  told.  A  good  swimmer  can  wriggle  through, 
d'ye  see.?  That  lets  him  out  into  the  little  canal  that 
connects  with  the  river.     Then " 

"I  see !"  cried  Quinnox.  "It  can  be  done !  No  one  will 
be  watching  at  that  point." 

The  sky  was  overcast,  the  night  as  black  as  ebony. 
The  four  men  left  the  officers'  quarters  at  one  o'clock, 
making  their  way  to  the  historic  old  gate  in  the  glen 
below  the  Castle.  Arriving  at  the  wall,  Truxton  briefly 
whispered  his  plans. 

"You  remember,  Colonel  Quinnox,  that  the  stream  is 
four  or  five  feet  deep  here  at  the  gate.  The  current 
has  washed  a  deeper  channel  under  the  iron-bound 
timbers.  The  gates  are  perhaps  two  feet  thick.  For 
something  Hke  seven  or  eight  feet  from  the  bottom  they 
are  so  constructed  that  the  water  runs  through  an  open 
network  of  great  iron  bars.  Now,  Hobbs  and  I  will  go 
under  the  gates  in  the  old  clothes  you  have  given  us. 
When  we  are  on  the  opposite  side  we'll  stick  close  by  the 
gate,  and  you  may  pass  our  dry  clothes  out  between  the 
bars  above  the  surface  of  the  water.  Our  guns,  the 
map  and  the  food,  as  well.  It's  very  simple.  Then  we'll 
drop  down  the  canal  a  short  distance  and  change  our 
clothes  in  the  underbrush.     Hobbs  knows  where  we  can 


318  TRUXTON  KING 

procure  horses  and  he  knows  a  trusty  guide  on  the  other 
side  of  the  city.     So  long,  Colonel.     I'll  see  you  later.'* 

"God  be  with  you,"  said  Quinnox  fervently.  The  four 
men  shook  hands  and  King  slipped  into  the  water  with- 
out a  moment's  hesitation. 

"Right  after  me,  Hobbs,"  he  said,  and  then  his  head 
went  under. 

A  minute  later  he  and  Hobbs  were  on  the  outside  of  the 
gate,  gasping  for  breath.  Standing  in  water  to  their 
necks,  Quinnox  and  Haddan  passed  the  equipment 
through  the  barred  openings.  There  were  whispered 
good-byes  and  then  two  invisible  heads  bobbed  off  in  the 
night,  wading  in  the  swift-flowing  canal,  up  to  their 
chins.  Swimming  would  have  been  dangerous,  on 
account  of  the  noise. 

Holding  their  belongings  high  above  their  heads,  with 
their  hearts  in  their  mouths.  King  and  the  Englishman 
felt  their  way  carefully  along  the  bed  of  the  stream. 
Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard,  except  the  barking  of  dogs 
in  the  distance.  The  stillness  of  death  hung  over  the 
land.  So  still,  that  the  almost  imperceptible  sounds  they 
made  in  breathing  and  moving  seemed  like  great  volumes 
of  noise  in  their  tense  ears. 

A  hundred  yards  from  the  gate  they  crawled  ashore 
and  made  their  way  up  over  the  steep  bank  into  the 
thick,  wild  underbrush.  Not  a  word  had  been  spoken 
up  to  this  time. 

"Quietly  now,  Hobbs.  Let  us  get  out  of  these  duds. 
'Gad,  they're  like  ice.  From  now  on,  Hobbs,  you  lead 
the  way.     I'll  do  my  customary  act  of  following." 

Hobbs  was  shivering  from  the  cold.  "I  say,  ^Mr.  King, 
you're  a  wonder,  that's  wot  you  are.  Think  of  going 
under  those  bally  gates!" 

"That's  right,  Hobbs,  think  of  it,  but  don't  talk." 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  319 

They  stealthil-y  stripped  themselves  of  the  wet  gar- 
ments, and,  after  no  end  of  trouble,  succeeded  in  getting 
into  the  dry  substitutes.  Then  they  lowered  the  wet 
bundles  into  the  water  and  quietly  stole  off  through  the 
brush,  Hobbs  in  the  lead,  intent  upon  striking  the  King's 
Highway,  a  mile  or  two  above  town.  It  was  slow,  ardu- 
ous going,  because  of  the  extreme  caution  required.  A 
wide  detour  was  made  by  the  canny  Hobbs — wider,  in 
fact,  than  the  impatient  American  thought  wholly  neces- 
sary.    In  time,  however,  they  came  to  the  Highway. 

"Well,  we've  got  a  start,  Hobbs.  We'll  win  out,  just 
as  I  said  we  would.     Easy  as  falling  off  a  log." 

"I'm  not  so  blooming  sure  of  that,"  said  Hobbs.  He 
was  recalling  a  recent  flight  along  this  very  road, 
"We're  a  loncp  wav  from  beinc^  out  of  the  woods." 

"Don't  be  a  kill-joy,  Hobbs.  Look  at  the  bright  side 
of  things." 

"I'll  do  that  in  the  morning,  when  the  sun's  up,"  said 
Hobbs,  with  a  sigh.  "Come  along,  sir.  We  take  tliis 
path  here  for  the  upper  road.  It's  a  good  two  hours' 
walk  up  the  mountain  to  Rabot's,  where  w»  get  the 
horses." 

All  the  way  up  the  black,  narrow  mountain  path 
Hobbs  kept  the  lead.  King  followed,  his  thoughts  di- 
vided between  the  blackness  ahead  and  the  single,  steady 
light  in  a  certain  window  now  far  behind.  He  had  seen 
the  lighted  window  in  the  upper  balcony  as  he  passed  the 
Castle  on  the  way  to  the  gate.  Somehow  he  knew  she 
was  there  saying  good-bye  and  Godspeed  to  him. 

At  four  o'clock,  as  the  sun  reached  up  with  his  long, 
red  fingers  from  behind  the  Monastery  mountain,  Trux- 
ton  King  and  Hobbs  rode  away  from  Rabot's  cottage 
high  in  the  hills,  refreshed  and  sound  of  heart.  Rabot's 
son  rode  with  them,  a  sturdy,  loyal  lad,  who  had  leaped 


sj^o  truxton  king 

joyously  at  the  chance  to  serve  his  Prince.  Undisturbed, 
they  rode  straight  for  the  passes  below  St.  Valentine's. 
iSehind  and  below  them  lay  the  sleeping,  restless,  un- 
happy city  of  Edelweiss,  with  closed  gates  and  un- 
friendh',  sullen  walls.  There  reigned  the  darkest  fiend 
that  Graustark,  in  all  her  history,  had  ever  come  to 
know. 

Truxton  King  had  slipped  through  his  fingers  with 
almost  ridiculous  ease.  So  simple  had  it  been,  that  the 
two  messengers,  gloating  in  the  prospect  ahead,  now 
spoke  of  the  experience  as  if  it  were  the  most  trivial 
thing  in  their  lives.  They  mentioned  it  casuall}^ ;  that 
was  all. 

Now,  let  us  turn  to  John  TuUis  and  his  quest  in  the 
hills.  It  goes  without  saying  that  he  found  no  trace  of 
his  sister  or  her  abductors.  For  five  days  he  scoured  the 
lonel}^  mysterious  mountains,  dragging  the  tired  but 
103-al  hundred  about  at  his  heels,  distracted  by  fear  and 
anguish  over  the  possible  fate  of  the  adored  one.  On 
the  fifth  day,  a  large  force  of  Dawsbergen  soldiers,  led 
by  Prince  Dantan  himself,  found  the  fagged,  disspirited 
American  and  his  half-starved  m.en  encamped  in  a  rocky 
defile  in  the  heart  of  the  wilderness. 

That  same  night  a  Graustark  mountaineer  passed  the 
sentinels  and  brought  news  of  the  disturbance  in  Edel- 
weiss. He  could  give  no  details.  He  only  knew  that 
there  had  been  serious  rioting  in  the  streets  and  that 
the  gates  were  closed  against  all  comers.  He  could  not 
tell  whether  the  rioters — most  of  whom  he  took  to  be 
strikers,  had  been  subdued  or  whether  mob-law  prevailed. 
He  had  been  asked  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  strikers,  but 
had  refused.  For  tliis  he  was  driven  away  from  his  home, 
whicli  was  burned.  His  wife  and  child  were  now  at  the 
Monastery,  where  many  persons  had  taken  refuge. 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  321 

In  a  flash  it  occurred  to  John  Tullis  that  Marlanx  was 
at  the  bottom  of  this  deviltry.  The  abduction  of 
Loraine  was  a  part  of  his  plan !  Prince  Dantan  advised 
a  speedy  return  to  the  city.  His  men  were  at  the 
conmiand  of  the  American.  Moreover,  the  Prince  him- 
self decided  to  accompany  the  troops. 

Before  sunrise,  the  command,  now  five  or  six  hundred 
strong,  was  picking  its  way  down  the  dangerous  moun- 
tain roads  toward  the  main  highway.  Fifteen  miles  be- 
low Edelweiss  they  came  upon  the  company  of  soldiers 
sent  out  to  preserve  order  in  the  railroad  camps. 

The  officer  in  charge  exhibited  a  document,  given  under 
the  hand  and  seal  of  Baron  Dangloss,  directing  him  to 
remain  in  command  of  the  camps  until  the  strikers,  who 
were  unruly,  could  be  induced  to  resume  work  once  more. 
This  order,  of  course,  was  a  forgery,  designed  to  mis- 
lead the  Httle  force  until  Marlanx  saw  fit  to  expose  his 
hand  to  the  world.  It  had  come  by  messenger  on  the 
very  day  of  the  rioting.  The  messenger  brought  the 
casual  word  that  the  government  was  arresting  and 
punishing  the  lawless,  and  that  complete  order  would 
hardly  be  established  for  several  days  at  the  outside. 
Ke  went  so  far  as  to  admit  that  an  attempt  on  the  life 
of  the  Prince  had  failed.  Other  reports  had  come  to 
the  camps,  and  all  had  been  to  the  effect  that  the  rioting 
was  over.  The  strikers,  it  seemed,  were  coming  to  terms 
with  their  employers  and  would  soon  take  up  the  work  of 
;  construction  once  more.  All  this  sufficed  to  keep  the 
real  situation  from  reaching  the  notice  of  the  young 
captain ;  he  was  obeying  orders  and  awaiting  the  return 
of  the  workmen. 

The  rehef  that  swept  into  the  souls  of  the  newly  ar- 
rived company  was  short-lived.  They  had  gone  into 
camp,  tired,  sore  and  hungry,  and  were  preparing  to 


82a  TRUXTON  KING 

take  a  long  needed  rest  before  taking  up  the  last  stage 
of  their  march  toward  the  city.  John  Tullis  was  now  in 
feverish  haste  to  reach  the  city,  where  at  least  he  might 
find  a  communication  from  the  miscreants,  demanding 
ransom.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  to  pay  whatever 
they  asked.  Down  in  his  heart,  however,  there  was  a 
restless  fear  that  she  had  not  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
ordinary  bandits.  He  could  not  banish  the  sickening 
dread  that  she  was  in  the  power  of  ^Nlarlanx,  to  whom 
she  alone  could  pay  the  ransom  exacted. 

Hardly  had  the  men  thrown  themselves  from  their 
horses  when  the  sound  of  shooting  in  the  distance  struck 
their  ears.  Instantly  the  entire  force  was  alert.  A  dozen 
shots  were  fired  in  rapid  succession ;  then  single  reports 
far  apart.  The  steady  beat  of  horses'  feet  was  now 
plain  to  the  attentive  company.  There  was  a  quick, 
incisive  call  to  arms ;  a  squad  stood  ready  for  action. 

The  clatter  of  hoofs  drew  nearer;  a  small  group  of 
horsemen  came  thundering  down  the  defile.  Three 
minutes  after  the  firing  was  first  heard,  sentries  threw 
their  rifles  to  their  shoulders  and  blocked  the  approach 
of  the  riders. 

A  wild,  glad  shout  went  up  from  the  foremost  horse- 
man. He  had  pulled  his  beast  to  its  haunches  almost 
at  the  muzzles  of  the  guns. 

"Tullis  1"  he  shouted,  waving  his  hat. 

John  Tullis  ran  toward  the  excited  group  in  the  road. 
He  saw  three  men,  one  of  whom  was  shouting  his  name 
with  all  the  power  in  his  lungs. 

"Thank  God,  we've  found  you!"  cried  the  horseman, 
swinging  to  the  ground  despite  the  proximity  of  strange 
rifles.     "Put  up  your  guns!     We're  friends!" 

"King!"  exclaimed  Tullis,  suddenly  recognising  him. 
A  moment  later  they  were  clasping  hands. 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  823 

"This  is  luck !  We  find  jou  almost  as  soon  as  we  set 
out  to  do  50.  Glory  be !  You've  got  a  fair-sized  army, 
too.     We'll  need  'em — and  more." 

'*\Miat  has  happened,  King?  Where  have  you  been? 
We  looked  for  you  after  your  disap " 

"That's  ancient  history,"  interrupted  the  other.  "How 
boon  can  you  get  these  troops  on  the  march  .^  There's 
not  a  moment  to  be  lost." 

"Good  God,  man,  tell  me  what  it  is — ^what  has  hap- 
pened? The  Prince?  WTiat  of  him?"  cried  Tulhs, 
grasping  King's  arm  in  the  clutch  of  a  vise. 

"He  sends  his  love  and  rescinds  the  order  of  exile," 
said  King,  smiling.  Then  seriously :  "Marlanx  has 
taken  the  city.  It  was  all  a  game,  this  getting  rid  of 
you.  He's  superstitious  about  Americans.  There  was 
bomb-throwing  in  the  square  and  a  massacre  afterward. 
The  Prince  and  all  the  others  are  besieged  in  the  Castle. 
I'll  tell  you  all  about  it.  Hobbs  and  I  are  the  only  men 
who  have  got  away  from  the  Castle  ahve.  We  left 
last  night.  Our  object  was  to  warn  you  in  time  to  pre- 
vent an  ambush.  You've  got  to  save  the  throne  for 
Prince  Robin.  I'll  explain  as  we  go  along.  I  may  as 
well  inform  you  right  now  that  there's  a  big  force  of 
men  waiting-  for  you  in  the  ravine  this  side  of  the 
Monastery.  We  saw  them.  Thank  God,  we  got  to  you 
in  time.  You  can  now  take  'em  by  surprise  and — • 
whiiF !  They'll  run  like  dogs.  Back  here  a  couple  of  miles 
we  came  upon  a  small  gang  of  real  robbers.  We  had  a 
bit  of  shooting  and — I  regret  to  say — no  one  was 
bagged.  I'd  advise  you  to  have  this  force  pushed  along 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  I  have  a  message  from  your 
sister,  sir." 

"Loraine?     \M;iere  is  she.  King?" 

"Don't  tremble  like  that,  old  man.     She's  safe  enough 


324  TRUXTON  KING 

• — in  the  Castle.  Oh,  it  was  a  fine  game  Marlanx  had 
in  his  mind." 

While  the  troopers  were  making  ready  for  the  march, 
Truxton  King  and  Hobbs  related  their  story  to  eager, 
horrified  groups  of  officers.  It  may  be  well  to  say  that 
neither  said  more  of  his  own  exploits  than  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  connect  the  series  of  incidents.  Prince 
Dantan  marvelled  anew  at  this  fresh  demonstration  of 
Yankee  courage  and  ingenuity.  King  graphically  nar- 
rated the  tale  from  beginning  to  end.  The  full  force 
of  the  amazing  tragedy  was  brought  home  to  the  pale, 
half-dazed  listeners.  There  were  groans  and  curses  and 
bitter  cries  of  vengeance.  John  Tullis  was  crushed; 
despair  was  written  in  his  face,  anguish  in  his  eyes. 

What  was  to  become  of  the  Prince.'^ 

"First  of  all,  TulHs,  we  must  destroy  these  scoundrels 
who  are  lying  in  wait  for  you  in  the  ravine,"  said  Prince 
Dantan.  "After  that  you  can  be  in  a  position  to  breathe 
easily  while  collecting  the  army  of  fighters  that  Mr. 
King  suggests.  Surely,  you  will  be  able  to  raise  a  large 
and  determined  force.  My  men  are  at  Prince  Robin's 
disposal.  Captain  Haas  may  command  them  as  his 
own.  I  deplore  the  fact  that  I  may  not  call  upon  the 
entire  Dawsbergen  army.  Marlanx  evidently  knows  our 
laws.  Our  army  cannot  go  to  the  aid  of  a  neighbor. 
We  have  done  so  twice  in  half  a  century  and  our  people 
have  been  obliged  to  pay  enormous  indemnity.  But 
there  are  men  here.  I  am  here.  We  will  not  turn  back, 
Mr.  Tullis.  M}^  people  will  not  hold  me  at  fault  for 
taking  a  hand  in  this.  I  shall  send  messengers  to  the 
Princess  ;  she,  of  course,  must  know." 

The  battalion,  augmented  by  the  misguided  company 
from  the  deserted  railroad  camps,  moved  swiftly  into  the 
defile,  led  by  young  Rabot.     Tnixton  King  rode  beside 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  325 

the  brother  of  the  girl  he  loved,  uttering  words  of  cheer 
and  encouragement. 

"King,  you  do  put  new  courage  into  me.  You  are 
surcharged  with  hope  and  confidence.  By  heaven,  I  be- 
lieve we  can  drive  out  that  damned  beast  and  his  dogs. 
We  ic'ill  do  it  1" 

"There's  a  chap  named  Brutus.  I  ask  special  permis- 
sion to  kill  him.  That's  the  only  request  I  have  to 
make." 

"I  very  strongly  oppose  the  appeal  to  Grand  Duke 
Paulus.  We  must  act  decisively  before  that  alternative 
is  forced  upon  the  unhappy  Halfont.  It  was  Perse's 
scheme,  months  ago.  Perse  I  Confound  him,  I  believe 
he  has  worked  all  along  to  aid " 

"Hold  on,  Tullis,"  interrupted  King  soberly.  "I 
wouldn't  say  that  if  I  were  you.  The  Duke  was  wounded 
by  the  dynamiters  and  I  understand  he  lies  on  his  bed 
and  curses  Marlanx  from  morning  till  night.  He  prays 
constantly  that  his  daughter  m.ay  be  freed  from  the  old 
scoundrel." 

"The  Countess  Ingomede — has  anything  been  heard 
from  her?"  asked  Tullis.  He  had  been  thinking  of  her 
for  days — and  nights. 

"Well,  nothing  definite,"  said  King  evasively.  He  was 
reminded  at  this  moment  of  his  own  love  affair.  Seized 
bv  the  boldest  impulse  that  had  ever  come  to  him,  he 
suddenly  blurted  out:  "Tullis,  I  love  your  sister.  I 
have  loved  her  from  the  beginning.  All  that  has  hap- 
pened in  the  last  week  has  strengthened  my  adoration. 
I  think  she  cares  for  me,  but, — ^but " 

"My  dear  Mr.  King,  I'm  sorry — "  began  Tullis, 
genuinely  surprised. 

"But  it  seems  that  she's  promised  to  marry  Vos  Engo. 
I'll  tell  jou  how  it  happened."     Then  he  related  the 


326  TRUXTON  KING 

episode  of  the  rout  in  Castle  Avenue.  "It's  all  wrong 
for  her  to  marry  that  chap.  If  she  hasn't  been  bullied 
into  it  before  we  get  back  to  her,  I'd  Hke  to  know  if 
you  won't  put  a  stop  to  his  damned  impudence.  What 
right  has  such  a  fellow  as  Vos  Engo  to  a  good  American 
girl  like  Loraine?  None  whatever.  Besides,  I'm  going 
to  fight  him  when  we're  through  fighting  Marlanx.  I 
want  you  as  my  second.  Can't  sa}^  whether  it  will  be 
swords,  pistols  or  knuckles.  I  hope  3^ou'll  oblige  me. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  had  two  primary  objects  in  look- 
ing you  up  out  here  in  the  hills.  First,  to  ask  you  for 
Loraine ;  second,  to  engage  you  as  my  second." 

Tullis  was  silent  for  a  while.  Then  he  said,  quite 
seriously :  "King,  I  have  looked  with  some  favour  upon 
Vos  Engo.  I  thought  she  liked  him.  He  isn't  a  bad 
fellow,  believe  me.  I  want  Loraine  to  be  happy.  As 
for  this  promise  to  him,  I'll  talk  that  over  with  her — 
if  God  permits  me  to  see  her  again !  I  shall  allow  her 
to  choose.  King.  You  or  Vos  Engo — the  one  she  loves, 
that's  all.     As  for  seconding  you,  I  am  at  your  service." 

King  beamed.  "That  means,  I  take  it,  that  you  want 
me  to  win  at  least  one  of  the  contests.  Well,"  with  his 
whimsical,  irresistible  smile,  "it  won't  be  necessary  to 
try  for  the  other  if  Vos  Engo  shoots  me  in  this  one." 

"You  will  never  know  the  extent  of  my  gratitude. 
King.  You  have  saved  her  from  a  hellish  fate.  I  shall 
be  disappointed  in  her  if  she  does  not  choose  you.  I 
owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude  almost  as  great  for  savings 
that  dear  little  boy  of — ours.  I  shall  not  forget  what 
you  have  done — never  !" 

Early  in  the  afternoon  the  force  under  Captain  Haas 
was  divided  into  three  companies,  for  strategic  purposes. 
The  plan  to  surprise  and  defeat  the  skulkers  in  the  ra- 
yine  had  been  carefully  thought  out.    Two  strong  com- 


BY  THE  WATER-GATE  327 

panics  struck  off  into  the  hills ;  the  third  and  weakest  of 
the  trio  kept  the  road,  apparently  marching  straight 
into  the  trap.  Signals  had  been  arranged.  At  a  given 
sign  the  three  parties  were  to  swoop  down  upon  the 
position  held  by  the  enemy. 

Several  hours  passed.  The  troop  in  the  highroad  pre- 
pared to  camp  just  below  the  treacherous  psiss  in  which 
the  ambush  was  known  to  be  laid.  Scouts  had  located 
the  confident  rascals  in  the  ravines  above  the  highway. 
With  the  news  that  their  prey  was  approaching,  they 
were  being  rapidly  rushed  into  position  at  the  head  of 
the  pass. 

Shortly  before  sunset  the  troop  in  the  road  began  to 
advance,  riding  resolutely  into  the  ravine.  Even  as 
the  gloating,  excited  desperadoes  prepared  to  open  fire 
from  their  hidden  position  at  the  head  of  the  pass,  their 
pickets  came  running  in  with  the  word  that  two  large 
forces  were  drawing  in  on  them  from  the  north  and 
east. 

The  trappers  were  trapped.  They  realised  that  they 
had  been  out-generalled,  and  they  understood  their  de- 
ficiences.  Not  a  man  among  them  knew  the  finer  points 
of  warfare.  They  were  thugs  and  roustabouts  and  ill- 
omened  fellows  who  could  stab  in  the  back;  they  were 
craven  in  the  face  of  an  open  peril. 

There  were  few  shots  fired.  The  men  in  ambuscade 
tried  to  escape  to  the  fastnesses  of  the  hills.  Some  of 
them  stood  ground  and  fought,  only  to  be  mown  down 
by  the  enemy ;  others  were  surrounded  and  made  captive ; 
but  few  actually  succeeded  in  evading  the  troopers.  All 
were  ready  to  sue  for  mercy  and  to  proclaim  their 
willingness  to  divert  alleo-iance  from  dictator  to  Crown. 
Herded  like  so  many  cattle,  guarded  like  wolves,  they 
.  .Were  driven  city-ward,  few  if  any  of  them  exhibiting  the 


828  TRUXTON  KING 

slightest  symptom  of  regret  or  discomfiture.  In  fact, 
thej  seemed  more  than  philosophic :  they  were  most 
jovial.  These  were  soldiers  of  fortune,  in  the  plainest 
sense.  It  mattered  little  with  whom  they  were  allied  or 
against  whom  they  fought,  so  long  as  the  ^a.j  was 
adequate  and  prompt. 

Indeed,  the  leaders  of  the  party — officers  by  grace  of 
lucky  tosses — benignly  proffered  the  ser^qces  of  them- 
selves and  men  in  the  movement  to  displace  Count 
Marlanx ! 

"He  cannot  hold  out,"  said  the  evil-faced  captain  in 
cool  derision.  "He  cannot  keep  his  promises  to  us.  So 
why  should  we  cut  our  own  throats  ?  All  we  ask  is  trans- 
portation to  Austria  after  the  job's  over.  That's  where 
most  of  us  came  from,  your  Excellencies.  Count  on  us, 
if  you  need  us.    Down  with  Marlanx  !" 

"Long  live  Prince — "  Three-fourths  of  them  stopped 
there  because  they  did  not  even  know  the  name  of  the 
little  ruier. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  RETURN 


From  the  highlands  below  the  Monastery,  Captain  Haas 
and  his  men  were  able  to  study  the  situation  in  the  city. 
The  impracticabihty  of  an  assault  on  any  one  of  the 
stubborn,  well-guarded  gates  was  at  once  recognised.  A 
force  of  seven  hundred  men,  no  matter  how  well  trained 
or  determined,  could  not  be  expected  to  surmount  walls 
that  had  often  withstood  the  attack  of  as  many  thou- 
sands. The  wisdom  of  delaying  until  a  few  thousand 
loyal,  though  poorly  armed  countrymen  could  be 
brought  into  play  against  the  city  appealed  at  once  to 
Prince  Dantan  and  John  Tullis. 

Withdrawing  to  an  unexposed  cut  in  the  hills,  safe 
from  the  shells  that  might  be  thrown  up  from  the 
fortress,  they  established  their  camps,  strongly  en- 
trenched and  practically  imoilnerable  against  any  attack 
from  below.  Squads  of  men  were  sent  without  delay 
into  the  hills  and  valleys  to  call  the  panic-stricken, 
wavering  farm.ers  into  the  fold.  John  Tullis  headed  the 
company  that  struck  off  into  the  well-populated  Gan- 
look  district. 

Marlanx,  as  if  realising  the  nature  of  the  movement  in 
the  hills,  began  a  furious  assault  on  the  gates  leading  to 
the  Castle.  The  watchers  in  the  hills  could  see  as  well 
as  hear  the  conflict  that  raged  almost  at  their  feet,  so 
to  speak.  They  cheered  like  mad  when  the  motley  army 
of  the  usurper  was  frustrated  in  the  attempt  to  take  the 
main  gates.  From  the  walls  about  the  park,  Quinnox's 
men,  few  as  they  were,  sent  such  deadly  volleys  into  the 
streets  below  that  the  hordes  fell  back  and  found  shelter 


TRUXTON  KING 

behind  the  homes  of  the  rich.  With  half  an  eye,  one 
could  see  that  the  rascals  were  looting  the  palaces,  secure 
from  any  opposition  on  the  part  cf  the  government 
forces ;  tlirough  the  glasses,  scattered  crowds  of  men 
could  be  seen  carrying  articles  from  the  houses ;  more 
than  one  of  the  mansions  went  up  in  flames  as  the  day 
grew  old  and  the  lust  of  the  pillagers  increased. 

The  next  morning,  Captain  Haas  announced  to  his 
followers  that  Marlanx  had  begun  to  shell  the  Castle. 
Big  guns  in  the  fortress  were  hurling  great  shells  over 
the  cit}-,  dropping  them  in  the  park.  On  the  other  hand. 
Colonel  Quinnox  during  the  night  had  swung  three 
Gatling  guns  to  the  top  of  the  wall ;  they  were  stationed 
at  intervals  along  the  wall,  commanding  every  point 
from  which  an  assault  might  be  expected.  It  was  a 
well-known  fact  that  there  was  no  heavy  ordnance  at 
the  Castle.  All  day  long,  Marlanx's  men,  stationed  in 
the  upper  stories  of  houses  close  to  the  walls,  kept  up  a 
constant  rifle  fire,  their  bullets  being  directed  against  the 
distant  windows  of  the  Castle.  That  this  desultory 
fusillade  met  with  scant  response  at  the  hands  of  Quin- 
nox, was  quite  apparent  to  the  uneasy,  champing 
watchers  near  the  Monastery. 

"Marlanx  will  not  begin  the  actual  bombardment  until 
he  knows  that  Tullis  is  drawing  together  a  formidable 
force,"  prophesied  Prince  Dantan. 

"But  when  he  does  begin  the  real  shelling,"  mourned 
Truxton  King,  chafing  like  a  lion  under  the  deadl}^  in- 
action. "I  can't  bear  the  thought  of  what  it  means  to 
those  inside  the  Castle.  He  can  blow  it  to  pieces  over 
their  heads.  Then,  from  the  house  tops,  he  can  pick 
them  ofl"  like  blackbirds.  It's  awful!  Is  there  nothing 
that  we  can  do.  Prince?  Damn  it  all,  I  know  we  can 
force   a    gate.      And    if^  we    once    get   in    where    those 


THE  RETURN  331 

ctiwardlj  dogs  are  lording  it,  you'll  see  'em  take  the  walls 
like  steeple-chasers." 

"Mj  dear  Mr.  King,"  said  Prince  Dantan  calmly, 
"you  don't  know  Colonel  Quinnox  and  the  House  Guard. 
The  Quinnoxs  have  guarded  Graustark's  rulers  for  I 
don't  know  how  many  generations.  History  does  not 
go  back  so  far,  I  fear.  You  may  depend  on  it,  there 
will  be  no  living  guardsmen  inside  those  vralls  when 
Marlanx  lays  his  hands  on  the  Prince." 

That  night  recruits  from  the  farms  and  villages  be- 
gan to  straggle  into  the  camp.  They  were  armed  with 
rifles,  ordinary  shotguns  and  antique  "blunderbusses ;" 
swords,  staves  and  aged  lances.  All  were  willing  to  die 
in  the  service  of  the  little  Prince;  all  they  needed  was  a 
determined,  capable  leader  to  rally  them  from  the  state 
of  utter  panic.  They  reported  that  the  Crown  for- 
agers might  expect  cheerful  and  plenteous  tribute  from 
the  farmers  and  stock  growers.  Only  the  mountaineers 
were  hostile. 

The  aiTny  now  grew  with  astonishing  rapidity.  The 
recruits  were  not  fighting  men  in  a  military  sense,  but 
their  hearts  were  true  and  they  hungered  for  the  chance 
to  stamp  out  the  evil  that  lay  at  their  feet.  By  the 
close  of  the  second  day  nearly  three  thousand  men  were 
encamped  above  the  city.  Late  that  night  John  TulHs 
rode  into  camp  at  the  head  of  a  great  company  from 
the  Ganlook  province.  He  had  retaken  the  town  of 
Ganlook,  seized  the  fortress,  and  recruited  the  entire 
fighting  strength  of  the  neighbourhood.  More  than 
that,  he  had  unlimbercd  and  conveyed  to  the  provisional 
camp  two  of  the  big  guns  that  stood  above  the  gates  at 
the  fortress.  There  had  been  a  dozen  skirmishes  be- 
tween the  regulars  and  roving  bands  of  desperadoes. 
A  savage  fight  took  place  at  Ganlook  and  another  in  the 


332  TRUXTON  KING 

gap  below  the  witch's  hut.  In  both  of  these  sanguinary 
affray's  the  government  forces  had  come  off  victorious, 
splendid  omens  that  did  not  fail  to  put  confidence  into 
the  hearts  of  the  men. 

Marlanx  trained  two  of  his  big  guns  on  the  camp  in 
l:he  hills.  From  the  fortress  he  threw  many  futile  shells 
toward  their  place  of  shelter.  They  did  no  damage; 
mstead  of  death,  they  brought  only  laughter  to  the 
scornful  camp.  Under  cover  of  night,  the  two  Ganlook 
cannons  were  planted  in  a  position  commanding  the 
southeastern  city  gate.  It  was  the  plan  of  the  new  be- 
siegers to  bombard  this  gate,  tearing  it  to  pieces  with 
shot.  When  their  force  was  strong  enough  offensively, 
an  assault  would  be  flung  against  this  opening.  Drill 
and  discipline  were  necessary,  however,  before  the  at- 
tempt cbuld  be  made.  In  the  present  chaotic,  untrained 
condition  of  their  forces,  an  assault  would  prove  not 
only  ineffectual,  but  disastrous.  Day  after  day  the 
recruits  were  put  through  hard  drill  under  the  direction 
of  the  regular  officers.  Every  day  saw  the  force  in- 
creased. This  made  hard  work  for  the  drill-masters. 
The  willingness  of  the  recruits,  however,  lessened  the 
task  considerably. 

The  knowledge  that  Marlanx  had  no  big  guns  except 
those  stationed  in  the  fortress  was  most  consoling  to 
Tullis  and  his  friends.  He  could  not  destroy  the  Castle 
gates  wath  shells,  except  by  purest  chance.  He  could 
drop  shells  into  the  Castle,  but  to  hit  a  gate  twenty  feet 
wide?  Never!  Field  ordnance  was  unknown  to  this 
country  of  mountains. 

The  Iron  Count's  inability  to  destroy  the  Castle  gates 
made  it  feasible  for  the  men  in  the  hills  to  devote  con- 
siderable more  time  to  drill  and  preparation  than  they 
might  have  sacrificed  if  the  conditions  were  the  reverse. 


THE  RETURN  333 

They  were  confident  that  Quinnox  could  hold  the  Castle 
for  many  days.  With  all  this  in  mind,  Captain  Haas 
and  Prince  Dantan  beat  down  the  objections  of  the  im- 
patient Americans ;  the  work  of  preparation  against 
ignorainous  failure  went  on  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Haas 
would  not  attack  until  he  was  ready,  or  it  became  abso- 
lutely certain  that  the  men  at  the  Castle  were  in  dire 
need. 

Sio-naUino-  between  the  Castle  and  the  hills  had  been 
going  on  for  days.  The  absence  of  the  "wigwag"  system 
made  it  impossible  to  convey  intelligible  messages. 

Truxton  King  was  growing  haggard  from  worry  and 
loss  of  sleep.  He  could  not  understand  the  abominable, 
criminal  procrastination.  He  was  of  a  race  that  did 
things  with  a  dash  and  on  the  spur  of  the  moment.  His 
soul  sickened  day  by  day.  John  Tullis,  equally  unhappy, 
but  more  philosophical,  often  found  him  seated  upon  a 
rock  at  the  top  of  the  ravine,  an  unlighted  pipe  in  his 
fingers,  his  eyes  intent  upon  the  hazy  Castle. 

"Cheer  up.  King.  Our  time  will  come,"  he  was  wont 
to  say. 

"I've  just  got  to  do  something,  Tullis.  This  standing 
around  is  killing  me."  Again  he  would  respond:  "Don't 
forget  that  I  love  some  one  down  there,  old  man.  IMaybe 
she's  worrying  about  me,  as  well  as  about  you."  Once 
he  gave  poor  Mr.  Hobbs  a  frightful  tongue-lashing  and 
was  afterward  most  contrite  and  apologetic.  Poor 
Hobbs  had  been  guilty  of  asking  if  he  had  a  headache. 

Truxton  was  assigned  to  several  scouting  expeditions, 
simply  to  provide  him  with  action  and  diverting  excite- 
ment. One  of  these  expeditions  determined  the  impos- 
sibihty  of  entering  the  city  through  the  railroad  yards 
because  of  the  trestle-work  and  the  barricade  of  freight 
cars  at  the  gap  in  the  wall. 


334  TRUXTON  KING 

They  had  been  in  camp  for  a  week.  The  stateglsts  had 
practically  decided  that  the  assault  could  be  made  within 
a  day  or  two.  All  was  in  readiness — or  as  near  as  it 
could  be — and  all  was  enthusiasm  and  excitement. 

"If  Haas  puts  it  off  another  day  I'm  going  to  start  a 
round  robin,  whatever  that  is,"  said  Truxton.  As  he 
said  it  to  a  Dawsbergen  officer  who  could  not  understand 
English,  it  is  doubtful  if  that  gentleman's  polite  nod  of 
acquiescence  meant  unqualified  approval  of  the  project. 

At  first  tliey  had  built  no  fires  at  night.  Now  the  force 
was  so  formidable  that  this  precaution  was  unnecessary. 
The  air  was  chill  and  there  were  tents  for  but  a  few  of 
the  troopers.  The  fires  in  the  ra\dne  always  were  sur- 
rounded by  great  circles  of  men,  eagerly  discussing  the 
coming  battle.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  ravine  were  the 
tents  of  the  officers,  Prince  Dantan  and  John  Tullis. 
The  latter  shared  his  with  King  and  Mr.  Hobbs.  Up 
here,  the  circle  about  the  kindly  pile  of  burning  logs 
was  small,  select  and  less  demonstrative.  Here  they 
smoked  in  silence  most  of  the  time,  each  man's  thoughts 
delivered  to  himself. 

Above,  on  the  jutting  rock,  sat  the  disconsolate,  love- 
sick Truxton.  It  was  the  night  before  the  proposed 
assault  on  the  gates.  The  guns  were  in  position  and  the 
cannonading  was  to  begin  at  daybreak.  He  was  full 
of  the  bitterness  of  doubt  and  misgiving.  Was  she  in 
love  with  Vos  Engo?  Was  the  Count's  suit  progressing 
favourably  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy?  Was  his  un- 
doubted bravery  having  its  effect  upon  the  wavermg 
susceptibilities  of  the  distressed  Loraine? 

Here  was  he,  Truxton  King,  idle  and  useless  for  more 
than  a  week,  beyond  range  of  the  guns  of  the  foe,  while 
down  there  was  Vos  Engo  in  the  thick  of  it,  at  the  side 
of  the  girl  he  loved  in  those  long  hours  of  peril,  able 


THE  RETURN  335 

to  comfort  her,  to  cheer  her,  to  fight  for  her.  It  was 
maddening.  He  was  sick  with  uncertainty,  consumed  by 
jealousy.  His  pipe  was  not  out  now:  he  was  smoking 
furiously. 

The  sound  of  a  voice  in  sharp  command  attracted  his 
attention.  One  of  the  sentries  in  the  road  below  the 
elbow  of  the  ridge  had  stopped  some  one  who  was  ap- 
proaching the  camp.  There  was  a  bright  moon,  and 
Truxton  could  see  other  pickets  hurrying  to  join  the 
first.  A  few  moments  later  the  trespassers  were  escorted 
through  the  Hues  and  taken  directly  to  headquarters.  A 
man  and  two  women,  King  obser^'ed.  Somewhat  in- 
terested, he  sauntered  do^Tn  from  his  lonely  boulder  and 
joined  the  group  of  officers. 

John  TuUis  was  staring  hard  at  the  group  approaching 
from  the  roadway.  They  were  still  outside  the  circle  of 
light,  but  it  was  plain  to  all  that  the  newcomers  were 
peasants.  The  wom^en  wore  the  short  red  skirts  and  the 
pointed  bonnets  of  the  lower  classes.  Gaudy  shawls 
covered  their  shoulders.  One  was  tall  and  slender,  with 
a  bearing  that  was  not  peasant-like.  It  was  she  who 
held  TuUis's  intense,  unbehe\dng  gaze  until  they  were 
well  inside  the  fire-light.  She  walked  ahead  of  her  com- 
panions. Suddenly  he  sprang  forward  with  a  cry  of 
amazement. 

It  was  the  Countess  Ingomede. 

Her  arrival  created  a  sensation.  In  a  moment  she  was 
in  the  centre  of  an  amazed  circle  of  men.  Tullis,  after 
his  first  low,  eager  greeting  at  the  edge  of  the  fire 
circle,  drew  her  near  to  the  warmth-giving  flames.  Prince 
Dantan  and  Captain  Haas  threw  rugs  and  blankets  in  a 
great  heap  for  her  to  sit  upon.  Every  one  was  talking 
at  once.     The  Countess  was  smiling  through  her  tears. 

"Make  room  for  my  maid  and  her  father.     They  are 


SS6  TRUXTON  KING 

colder  and  more  fatigued  than  I,"  she  said,  lifting  her 
tired,  glorious  eyes  to  John  Tullis,  who  stood  beside  her. 
"We  have  come  from  Balak.  They  suffered  much,  that 
I  might  enjoy  the  slender  comforts  I  was  so  ready  to 
share  with  them." 

"Thank  God,  you  are  here,"  he  said  in  low,  intense 
tones.  She  could  not  mistake  the  fervour  in  his  voice 
nor  the  glow  in  his  eyes.  Her  wondrous,  yellowish  orbs 
looked  steadily  into  his,  and  he  was  satisfied.  They  paid 
tribute  to  the  emotion  that  moved  him  to  the  depths  of 
his  being.  Love  leaped  up  to  him  from  those  sweet, 
tired  eyes ;  leaped  with  the  unerring  force  of  an  electric 
current  that  finds  its  lodestone  in  spite  of  mortal  will. 

"I  knew  you  were  here,  John.  I  am  not  going  back 
to  Count  Marlanx.    It  is  ended." 

"I  knew  it  would  come,  Ingomede.  You  will  let  me 
tell  you  how  glad  I  am — some  day.^" 

"Some  day,  when  I  am  truly,  wholly  free  from  him, 
John.  I  know  what  you  will  say,  and  I  think  you  know 
what  I  shall  say  in  reply."  Both  understood  and  were 
exalted.  No  other  word  passed  between  them  touching 
upon  the  thing  that  was  uppermost  in  their  minds. 

Food  was  provided  for  the  wayfarers,  and  Tulhs's  tent 
was  made  ready  for  the  Countess  and  her  maid. 

"Truxton,"  said  he,  "we  will  have  to  find  other  quarters 
for  the  night.     I've  let  my  apartment — furnished." 

"She's  gloriously  beautiful,  John,"  was  all  that  Trux- 
ton said,  puffing  moodily  at  his  pipe.  He  was  thinking 
of  one  more  beautiful,  however.  "I  suppose  you'd  think 
it  a  favour  if  I'd  pot  Marlanx  for  you  to-morrow." 

"It  doesn't  matter  whether  he's  potted  or  not,  my  friend. 
She  will  not  go  back  to  him.  He  will  have  to  find  an- 
other prisoner  for  his  household." 

Tnixton's  thoughts  went  with  a  shudder  to  the  under- 


THE  RETURN  33T 

ground  room  and  the  fair  prisoner  who  had  shared  it 
with  him.  The  dread  of  what  might  have  been  the 
fate  of  Loraine  TulHs — or  what  might  still  be  in  store 
for  her — brought  cold  chills  over  him.  He  abruptly 
turned  away  and  sat  down  at  the  outer  edge  of  the 
group. 

The  Countess's  story  was  soon  told.  Sitting  before  the 
great  fire,  surrounded  by  eager  listeners,  she  related  her 
experiences.  Prince  Dantan  was  her  most  attentive 
listener. 

She  had  been  seized  on  the  night  of  the  ball  as  she 
started  across  her  father's  garden.  Before  sunrise  she 
was  well  on  her  way  to  Balak,  in  charge  of  three  of  the 
Count's  most  faithful  henchmen.  As  for  the  messages 
that  were  sent  to  Edelweiss,  she  knew  nothing  of  them, 
except  the  last,  which  she  had  managed  to  get  through 
with  the  assistance  of  Josepha's  father.  She  was  kept 
a  close  prisoner  in  a  house  just  outside  of  Balak,  and 
came  to  learn  all  of  the  infamous  projects  of  her 
husband.  At  the  end  of  ten  days  her  maid  was  sent  to 
her  from  Edelweiss.  She  brought  the  news  of  the 
calamity  that  had  befallen  the  city.  It  was  then  that 
she  determined  to  break  away  from  her  captors  and  try 
to  reach  the  Monastery  of  St.  Valentine,  where  protec- 
tion would  be  afforded  her  for  the  time  being.  After 
several  days  of  ardent  persuasion,  she  and  Josepha  pre- 
vailed upon  the  latter's  father  to  assist  them  in  their 
'flight.  Not  only  was  he  persuaded,  but  in  the  end  he 
journeyed  with  them  through  the  wildest  country  north 
of  Ganlook.  They  were  four  days  in  covering  the 
distance,  partly  on  foot,  partly  by  horse.  Near  the 
city  they  heard  of  the  presence  of  troops  near  the 
Monastery.  Farmers'  wives  told  them  of  the  newly 
formed  army  and  of  its  leaders.    She  determined  to  make 


S38  TRUXTON  KING 

her  way  to  the  camp  of  those  who  would  destroy  her 
husband,  eager  to  give  them  any  assistance  that  her  own 
knowledge  of  Marlanx's  plans  might  provide. 

Many  details  are  omitted  in  this  brief  recital  of  her 
story.  Perhaps  it  is  well  to  leave  something  to  the 
imagination. 

One  bit  of  infonnation  she  gave  created  no  end  of 
consternation  among  the  would-be  deliverers  of  the  city. 
It  had  the  effect  of  making  them  all  the  more  resolute ; 
the  absolute  necessity  for  immediately^  regaining  control 
in  the  city  was  forced  upon  them.  She  told  them  that 
Count  Marlanx  had  lately  received  word  that  the  Grand 
Duke  Paulus  was  likely  to  intervene  before  many  days, 
acting  on  his  own  initiative,  in  the  belief  that  he  could 
force  the  government  of  Graustark  to  grant  the  railway 
privileges  so  much  desired  by  his  country.  Marlanx 
realised  that  he  would  have  to  forestall  the  wily  Grand 
Duke.  If  he  were  in  absolute  control  of  the  Graustark 
government  when  the  Russian  appeared,  he  and  he  alone 
would  be  in  a  position  to  deal  with  the  situation.  Unless 
the  Castle  fell  into  his  hands  beforehand,  insuring  the 
fall  of  the  royal  house  and  the  ministry,  the  Grand 
Duke's  natural  inclination  would  be  to  first  befriend  the 
hapless  Prince  and  then  to  demand  recompense  in  what- 
soever form  he  saw  fit. 

"The  Grand  Duke  may  send  a  large  force  of  men  across 
the  border  at  any  time,"  said  the  Countess  in  conclu- 
sion. "Count  Marlanx  is  sure  to  make  a  decisive  assault 
as  soon  as  he  hears  that  the  movement  has  begun.  He 
had  hopes  of  starving  them  out,  thus  saving  the  Castle 
from  destruction,  but  as  that  seems  unlikely,  his  shells 
will  soon  begin  to  rain  in  earnest  upon  the  dear  old  pile." 

Truxton  King  was  listening  with  wide  open  ears.  As 
she  finished  this  drear\'  prediction  he  silently  arose  to 


THE  RETURN  339' 

his  feet  and,  without  a  word  to  any  one,  stalked  off  in 
the  darkness.  TuUis  looked  after  him  and  shook  his 
head  sadly. 

"I'll  be  happy  on  that  fellow's  account  when  daybreak 
comes  and  we  are  reall}^  at  it,"  he  said  to  Prince  Dantan, 
who  knew  something  of  King's  affliction. 
'  But  Truxton  King  was  not  there  at  daybreak.  When 
"he  strode  cut  of  the  camp  that  night,  he  left  it  behind 
forever. 

The  unfortunate  lack  of  means  to  communicate  with  the 
occupants  of  the  Castle  had  been  the  source  of  great 
distress  to  Captain  Haas.  If  the  defenders  could  be  in- 
formed as  to  the  exact  hour  of  the  assault  from  the  out- 
side, they  could  do  much  toward  its  speedy  success  by 
making  a  fierce  sortie  from  behind  their  own  walls.  A 
quick  dash  from  the  Castle  grounds  would  ser\^e  to  draw 
Marlanx's  attention  in  that  direction,  diminishing  the 
force  that  he  would  send  to  check  the  onslaught  at  the 
gates.  But  there  was  no  means  of  getting  word  to 
Colonel  Quinnox.  His  two  or  three  hundred  men  would 
be  practically  useless  at  the  most  critical  period  of  the 
demonstration. 

Truxton  King  had  all  this  in  mind  as  he  swung  off 
down  the  mountain  road,  having  stolen  past  the  sentries 
with  comparative  ease.  He  was  smihng  to  himself.  If 
all  went  well  with  him,  Colonel  Quinnox  would  be  able 
^'to  rise  to  the  occasion.  If  he  failed  In  the  daring  mission 
he  had  elected  to  perform,  the  only  resulting  harm  would 
be  to  himself ;  the  plans  of  the  besiegers  would  not  suffer. 

He  knew  his  ground  well  by  this  time.  He  had  studied 
it  thoroughly  from  the  forlorn  boulder  at  the  top  of  the 
ravine.  By  skirting  the  upper  wails,  on  the  mountain 
side,  he  might,  in  a  reasonabh^  short  space  of  time,  reach 
the  low  woodlands  north  of  the  Castle  waUs.    The  danger 


340  TRUXTON  KING 

from  Marlanx's  scouts  outside  the  city  was  not  great; 
the}^  had  been  scattered  and  beaten  by  Haas's  recruiting 
parties.  He  stood  in  more  danger  from  the  men  he  would 
help,  the}^  who  were  the  watchful  defenders  of  the  Castle. 

It  must  have  been  two  o'clock  when  he  crossed  the 
King's  Highway,  a  mile  or  more  above  the  northern 
gates,  and  strucK  down  Into  the  same  thick  undergrowth 
that  had  protected  him  and  Hobbs  on  a  memorable 
night  not  long  before. 

At  three  o'clock,  a  dripping  figure  threw  up  his  hands 
obligingly  and  laughed  with  exultation  when  confronted 
by  a  startled  gurdsman  inside  the  Castle  walls  and  not 
more  than  fifty  yards  from  the  water  gates ! 

He  had  timed  his  entrance  by  the  sound  of  the  guards- 
man's footstep  on  the  stone  protecting  wall  that  lined 
the  little  stream.  When  he  came  to  the  surface  inside 
the  water  gate,  the  sentry  was  at  the  extreme  end  of  his 
beat.  He  shouted  a  friendly  cry  as  he  advanced  toward 
the  man,  calling  out  his  own  name. 

Ten  minutes  later  he  was  standing  in  the  presence  of 
the  haggard,  nerve-racked  Quinnox,  pouring  into  his 
astonished  ears  the  news  of  the  coming  attack.  While 
he  was  discarding  his  wet  clothing  for  others,  prepara- 
tions for  the  sortie  wei  getting  under  way.  The  Colonel 
lost  no  time  in  routing  out  the  sleeping  guardsmen  and 
reserves,  and  in  sending  commands  to  those  already  on 
duty  at  the  gates.  The  quick  rattle  of  arms,  the  rush 
of  feet,  the  low  cries  of  relief,  the  rousing  of  horses, 
soon  usurped  the  place  of  dreary,  deadly  calm. 

When  the  sun  peeped  over  the  lofty  hills,  he  saw  in- 
side the  gates  a  restless,  waiting  company  of  dragoons, 
ready  for  the  command  to  ride  forth.  Worn,  haggard 
fellows,  who  had  slept  but  little  and  who  had  eaten 
scarcely  anything  for  three  days ;  men  who  would  have 


THE  RETURN  341 

starved  to  death.  Now  they  were  forgetting  their 
hunger  and  fatigue  in  the  wild,  exultant  joy  of  the 
prospect  ahead. 

Meantime,  King  had  crossed  the  grounds  with 
Colonel  Quinnox,  on  the  way  to  the  Castie.  He  was 
amazed,  almost  stupefied  by  the  devastation  that  already 
had  been  wrought.  Trees  were  do^vn ;  great,  gaping 
holes  in  the  ground  marked  the  spots  where  shells  had 
fallen;  the  plaza  was  an  almost  impassable  heap  of 
masonry  and  soil,  torn  and  rent  b}^  huge  projectiles. 
But  it  was  his  first  clear  view  of  the  Castle  itself  that 
appalled  the  American. 

A  dozen  or  more  balls  had  crashed  into  the  facade. 
Yawning  fissures,  gigantic  holes,  marked  the  path  of  the 
ugly  messengers  from  Marlanx.  Nearly  all  of  the  win- 
dows had  been  wrecked  by  riflemen  who  shot  from  the 
roofs  of  palaces  in  and  about  the  avenue.  Two  of  the 
smaller  minarets  were  in  ruins ;  a  huge  pillar  in  the 
lower  balcony  was  gone ;  the  terrace  had  been  ploughed 
up  by  a  single  ricochetting  shell. 

"Great  God  !"  gasped  King.     "It  is  frightful !" 

"They  began  bombarding  yesterday  afternoon.  We 
were  asked  to  surrender  at  three  o'clock.  Our  reply 
brought  the  shells,  Mr.  King.     It  was  terrible." 

"And  the  loss  of  life,  Colonel.^"  demanded  the  other 
breathlessly. 

"After  the  first  two  or  three  shells  we  found  places  of 
shelter  for  the  Prince  and  his  friends.  They  are  in  the 
stone  tower  beyond  the  Castle,  overlooking  what  still 
remains  of  the  ancient  moat.  Ah,  there  are  no  faltering 
hearts  here,  Mr.  King.  The  most  glorious  courage  in- 
stead. Count  Vos  Engo  guards  the  Prince  and  the 
ladies  of  the  household.  Alas !  it  was  hunger  that  we 
feared  the  most.    _To-day  we  should  have  resorted  to 


S42  TRUXTOX  KIXG 

horse's  flesh.  There  was  no  other  way.  We  knev  that  re. 
lief  would  come  some  day.  John  Tulhs  was  there.  We 
had  faith  in  him  and  in  you.  And  now  it  is  to-day  1  This 
shall  be  our  day,  thank  God !  Xothing  can  stand  before 
us !" 

"Tullis  is  very  anxious  about  his  sister,"  ventured 
Truxton.     Quinnox  looked  straight  ahead,  but  smiled. 

"She  is  the  pluckiest  of  them  all." 

"Is  she  well?" 

"Perhaps  a  trifle  thin,  sir,  that  is  all.  I  dare  say  that 
is  due  to  scarcity  of  nourishment,  although  the  Prince 
and  his  closest  associates  were  the  last  to  feel  depriva- 
tion." 

"How  does  the  Prince  take  all  this,  Colonel?" 

"As  any  Prince  of  Graustark  would,  sir.  There  is  no 
other  way.     It  is  in  the  blood."  ^ 

"Poor  little  chap !" 

"He  will  rejoice  to  know  that  you  have  found  his  lucky 
stone  so  effective.  The  Prince  has  never  wavered  in  his 
.  loyalty  to  that  pebble,  sir." 

Together  they  entered  the  Castle.  Inside  there  were 
horrid  signs  of  destruction,  particularly  ofl*  the  bal- 
conies. 

"Xo  one  occupies  the  apper  part  of  the  Castle  now> 
sir." 

Attendants  sped  to  the  tower,  shouting  the  battle  tid^ 
ings.  Xo  compunction  was  felt  in  arousing  the  sleeping 
household.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  was  no  protest 
from  the  eager  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  hurried  forth 
to  hear  the  news. 

The  Prince  came  tumbling  down  the  narrow  iron  stairs 
from  his  room  above,  shouting  joyously  to  Truxton 
King.  Xo  man  was  ever  so  welcome.  He  was  besieged 
with  questions,   handshakings   and  praises.      Even  the 


THE  RETURN  34=3 

Duke  of  Perse,  hobbling  on  crutches,  had  a  kindly  greet- 
ing for  him.  Tears  streamed  down  the  old  man's  cheeks 
when  King  told  him  of  his  daughter's  safe  arrival  in 
the  friendly  camp. 

Truxton  picked  the  Prince  up  in  his  arms  and  held  him 
close  to  his  breast,  patting  his  back  all  the  while,  liis 
heart  so  full  that  he  could  not  speak. 
'  "I  knowed  you'd  come  back,"  Bobby  kept  crying  in 
his  ear.  "Aunt  Loraine  said  you  wouldn't,  but  I  said 
you  would.  I  knowed  it — I  knowed  it !  And  now  you're 
going  to  be  a  baron,  sure  enough.  Isn't  he.  Uncle 
Caspar?" 

But  Truxton  was  not  listening  to  the  eager  prattle. 
He  remembered  afterward  that  Bobby's  hands  and  face 
were  hot  with  fever.  Just  now  he  was  staring  at  the 
narrow  staircase.  Vos  Engo  and  Loraine  were  descend- 
ing slowly.  The  former  was  white  and  evidently  very 
weak.     He  leaned  on  the  girl  for  support. 

Count  Halfont  offered  the  explanation.  "Vos  Engo 
was  shot  last  week,  through  the  shoulder.  He  is  too 
brave  to  give  up,  as  you  may  see.  It  happened  on  the 
terrace.  There  was  an  unexpected  fusilade  from  the 
housetops.  Eric  placed  himself  between  the  marksmen 
and  Miss  Tullis.  A  bullet  that  might  have  killed  her 
instantly,  struck  him  in  the  shoulder.  They  were  fleeing 
to  the  balcony.  He  fell  and  she  dragged  him  to  a  place 
of  safety.  The  wound  is  not  so  serious  as  it  might  have 
been,  but  he  should  be  in  bed.  He,  Hke  most  of  us,  has 
not  removed  his  clothing  in  five  days  and  nights." 

Kin  cr  never  foro-ot  the  look  inLoraine's  eves  as  she  came 
down  the  steps.  Joy  and  anguish  seemed  to  combine 
themselves  in  that  long,  intense  look.  He  saw  her  hand 
go  to  her  heart.  Her  lips  were  parted.  He  knew  she 
was  breathing  quickly,  tremulously. 


U4i  TRUXTON  KING 

The  Prince  was  whispering  in  his  ear :  "Keep  the  lucky 
5tone,  Mr.  King.  Please  keep  it.  It  will  surely  help 
you.  I  gave  her  your  kiss.  She  was  happy — awful 
happy  for  awhile.  'Nen  the  Count  he  saved  her  from 
the  bullet.  But  you  just  keep  the  lucky  stone."  King 
put  him  down  and  walked  directly  across  to  meet  her 
at  the  foot  of  the  steps. 

She  gave  him  her  hands.  The  look  in  her  tired  eyes 
went  straight  to  his  heart.  Vos  Engo  drew  back,  his 
face  set  in  a  frown  of  displeasure. 

"My  brother?"  she  asked,  without  taking  her  gaze 
from  his  eyes. 

"He  is  well.     He  will  see  you  to-day." 

"And  you,  Truxton.'^"  was  her  next  question,  low  and 
quavering. 

"Unharmed  and  unchanged,  Loraine,"  he  said  softly. 
"Tell  me,  did  Vos  Engo  stand  between  you  and  the  fire 
from  the " 

"Yes,  Truxton,"  she  said,  dropping  her  eyes  as  if  in 
deep  pain. 

"And  you  have  not — broken  your  promise  to  him.^" 

"No.    Nor  have  I  broken  my  promise  to  you." 

"He  is  a  brave  man.  I  can't  help  sa^^ing  it,"  said  the 
American,  deep  lines  suddenly  appearing  in  his  face. 
Swiftly  he  turned  to  Vos  Engo,  extending  his  hand. 
"My  hand,  sir,  to  a  brave  man  !" 

Vos  Engo  stared  at  him  for  a  moment  and  then  turned 
away,  ignoring  the  friendly  hand.  A  hot  flush  mounted 
to  Loraine's  brow. 

"This  is  a  brave  man,  too,  Eric,"  she  said  very  quietly. 

Vos  Engo's  response  was  a  short,  bitter  laugh. 


CHAPTER  XXil 

THE  LAST  STAND 

Soon  after  five  o'clock,  a  man  in  the  topmost  window  of 
the  tower  called  down  that  the  forces  in  the  hills  were 
moving  in  a  compact  body  toward  the  ridges  below  the 
southern  gates. 

"Give  them  half  an  hour  to  locate  themselves,"  advised 
Truxton  King.  ''They  will  move  rapidly  and  strike  as 
soon  as  the  shells  have  levelled  the  gates.  The  proper 
time  for  your  sortie.  Colonel,  would  be  some  time  in 
advance  of  their  final  movement.  You  will  in  that  way 
draw  at  least  a  portion  of  Marlanx's  men  away  from  the 
heart  of  the  city.  They  will  come  to  the  assistance  of 
the  cran^  bivouacked  bevond  the  Duke  of  Perse's 
palace." 

One  hundred  picked  men  were  to  be  left  inside  the 
Castle  gates  with  Vos  Engo,  prepared  to  meet  any 
flank  movement  that  might  be  attempted.  Three  hun- 
dred mounted  men  were  selected  to  make  the  dash  down 
Castle  Avenue,  straight  into  the  camp  of  the  sharp- 
shooters. It  was  the  purpose  of  the  house  guard  to 
wage  a  fierce  and  noisy  conflict  off"  the  Avenue  and  then 
retire  to  the  Castle  as  abruptly  as  they  left  it,  to  be 
ready  for  ]\Iarlanx,  should  he  decide  to  make  a  final 
desperate  efi'ort  to  seize  their  stronghold. 

King,  fired  by  a  rebellious  zeal,  elected  to  ride  with  the 
attacking  party.  His  heart  was  cold  with  the  fear  that 
he  was  to  lose  Loraine,  after  all.  The  fairy  princess 
of  his  dreams  seemed  farther  away  from  him  than  ever. 
*T*11  do  what  I  can  for  the  Prince,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"He's   a  perfect  little  brick.     Damn  Vos  Engo !     I'll 


346  TRUXTON  KING 

make  him  repent  that  insult.  Every  one  noticed  it, 
too.  She  tried  to  smooth  it  over,  but — oh,  well,  what's 
the  use !" 

The  dash  of  the  three  hundred  through  the  gates  and 
down  the  avenue  was  the  most  spectacular  experience  in 
Truxton's  life.  He  was  up  with  Quinnox  and  General 
Braze,  galloping  well  in  front  of  the  jelling  troop. 
These  mounted  carbineers,  riding  as  Bedouins,  swept 
like  thunder  down  the  street,  whirled  into  the  broad, 
open  arena  beyond  the  Duke's  palace,  and  were  upon 
the  surprised  ruffians  before  they  were  fully  awake  to 
the  situation. 

They  came  tumbling  out  of  barns  and  sheds,  clutching 
their  rifles  in  nerveless  hands,  aghast  in  the  face  of 
absolute  destruction.  It  was  all  over  with  the  first  dash 
of  the  dragoons.  The  enemy,  craven  at  the  outset, 
threw  down  their  guns  and  tried  to  escape  through  the 
alleys  and  side  streets  at  the  end  of  the  common.  Firing 
all  the  time,  the  attacking  force  rode  them  down  as  if 
they  were  so  many  dogs.  The  few  who  stood  their 
ground  and  fought  valiantly  were  overpowered  and 
made  captive  by  Quinnox.  Less  than  a  hundred  men 
were  found  in  the  camp.  Instead  of  retreating  im- 
mediately to  the  Castle,  Quinnox,  acting  on  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  exhilarated  King,  kept  up  a  fierce,  de- 
ceptive fire  for  the  benefit  of  the  distant  Marlanx. 

After  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  of  this  desultory  carnage, 
it  was  reported  that  a  large  force  of  men  were  entering 
the  avenue  from  Regengetz  Circus.  Quinnox  sent  his 
chargers  toward  this  great  horde  of  foot-soldiers,  but 
they  did  not  falter  as  he  had  expected.  On  they  swept, 
two  or  three  thousand  of  them.  At  their  head  rode 
five  or  six  officers.     The  foremost  was  Count  Marlanx. 

The    cannons    were    booming    now    in    the    foothills. 


THE    LAST    STAND  34T 

Marlanx,  if  he  heard  them  and  realised  what  the  bom- 
bardment meant,  did  not  swerve  from  the  purpose  at 
present  in  his  mind. 

Quinnox  saw  now  that  the  Iron  Count  was  determined 
to  storm  the  gates,  and  gave  the  command  to  retreat. 
Waving  their  rifles  and  shouting  defiance  over  their 
shoulders,  the  dragoons  drew  up,  wheeled  and  gallopea 
toward  the  gates. 

Truxton  King  afterward  recalled  to  mind  certain  huge 
piles  of  fresh  earth  in  a  comer  of  the  common.  He  did 
not  know  what  they  meant  at  the  time  of  obser^'ation, 
but  he  was  wiser  inside  of  three  minutes  after  the  whirl- 
wind brigade  dashed  through  the  gates. 

Scarcely  were  the  massive  portals  closed  and  the  great 
steel  bars  dropped  into  place  by  the  men  who  attended 
them,  when  a  low,  dull  explosion  shook  the  earth  as  if 
by  volcanic  force.  Then  came  the  crashing  of  timbers, 
the  cracking  of  masonry,  the  whirring  of  a  thousand 
missiles  through  the  air.  Before  the  very  eyes  of  the 
stunned,  bewildered  defenders,  dismounting  near  the 
parade  ground,  the  huge  gates  and  pillars  fell  to  the 
ground. 

The  gates  have  been  dj'namited  I 

Then  it  was  that  Truxton  King  remembered.  :\Iar- 
!anx's  sappers  had  been  quietly  at  work  for  days,  drill- 
ing from  the  common  to  the  gates.  It  was  a  strange 
coincidence  that  Marlanx  should  have  chosen  this  day 
Sor  his  culminating  assault  on  the  Castle.  The  skirmish 
at  daybreak  had  hurried  his  arrangements,  no  doubt, 
bu^  none  the  less  were  his  plans  complete.  The  ex- 
plcrsives  had  been  laid  during  the  night;  the  fuses 
reached  to  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  across  the  common. 
As  he  swept  up  the  avenue  at  the  head  of  his  command, 
ha'^k-faced   and   with   glittering   eyes,   he   snarled    the 


S48  TRUXTON  KING 

command  that  put  fire  to  the  fuses.  He  was  still  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away  when  the  gates  crumbled.  With 
short,  shrill  cries,  scarcely  human  in  their  viciousness, 
he  urged  his  men  fonvard.  He  and  Brutus  were  the 
first  to  ride  up  to  the  great  hole  that  yawned  where  the 
gates  had  stood.  Beyond  they  could  see  the  distracted 
soldiers  of  the  Prince  forming  in  line  to  resist  attack. 

A  moment  later  his  vanguard  streamed  through  the 
aperture  and  faced  the  deadly  fire  from  the  driveway. 

Like  a  stone  wall  the  men  under  Quinnox  stood  their 
ground;  a  solid,  defiant  line  that  fired  with  telling  ac- 
curacy into  the  struggling  horde.  On  the  walls  two 
Gatling  guns  began  to  cackle  their  laugh  of  death. 
And  still  the  mercenaries  poured  through  the  gap,  form- 
ing in  haphazard  lines  under  the  direction  of  the  mad- 
dened Iron  Count. 

At  last  they  began  to  advance  across  the  grassy 
meadow.  When  one  man  fell  under  the  fire  of  the 
Guardsmen,  another  rushed  into  his  place.  Three 
times  the  indomitable  Graustarkians  drove  them  back, 
and  as  often  did  Marlanx  drag  them  up  again,  exalted 
by  the  example  he  set. 

"  'Gad,  he  is  a  soldier,"  cried  Ti-uxton,  who  had  wasted 
a  half  dozen  shots  in  the  effort  to  bring  him  down. 
"Hello !  There's  my  friend  Brutus.  He's  no  coward, 
either.     Here's  a  try  for  you,  Brutus." 

He  dropped  to  his  knee  and  took  deliberate  aim  at  the 
frenzied  henchman.  The  discovery  that  there  were  three 
bullets  in  Brutus's  breast  when  he  was  picked  up  long 
afterward  did  not  affect  the  young  man's  contention 
that  his  was  the  one  that  had  found  the  heart. 

The  fall  of  Brutus  urged  the  Iron  Count  to  greater 
fury.  His  horse  had  been  shot  from  under  him.  He 
was  on  his  feet,  a  gaunt  demon,  his  back  to  the  enemy, 


THE    LAST    STAND  349 

call-no-  to  his  men  to  follow  him  as  he  moved  toward 
the  stubborn  row  of  green  and  red.  Bullets  hissed  about 
his  ears,  but  he  gave  no  heed  to  them.  More  than  one 
man  in  the  opposing  force  watched  him  as  if  fascinated. 
He  seemed  to  be  absolutely  bullet-proof.  There  were 
times  when  he  stumbled  and  almost  fell  over  the  bodies. 
of  his  own  men  lying  in  the  path. 

By  this  time  liis  entire  force  was  inside  the  grounds. 
Colonel  Quinnox  was  quick  to  see  the  spreading  move- 
ment on  the  extreme  right  and  left.  IMarlanx's  cap- 
tains were  trained  warriors.  They  were  bent  on  flank- 
in  o-  the  enemy.  The  commander  of  the  Guard  gave  the 
command  to  fall  back  slowly  toward  the  Castle. 

Firing  at  every  step,  they  crossed  the  parade  ground 
and  then  made  a  quick  dash  for  the  shelter  of  the  long 
balconies.  They  held  this  position  for  nearly  an  hour, 
resisting  each  succeeding  charge  of  the  now  devilish 
foe.  Time  and  again  the  foremost  of  the  attacking 
party  reached  the  terrace,  only  to  wither  under  the 
deadly  fire  from  behind  the  balustrades.  Marlanx, 
down  in  the  parade  ground,  was  fairly  pushing  his  men 
into  the  jaws  of  death.  There  was  no  question  as  to  the 
courage  of  the  men  he  commanded.  These  were  not  the 
ruffians  from  all  over  the  world.  They  were  the  reck- 
less, devil-may-care  mountaineers  and  robbers  from  the 
hills  of  Graustark  itself. 

Truxton  King's  chance  to  pay  his  debt  to  Vos  Engo 
came  after  one  of  the  fiercest,  most  determined  charges. 
The  young  Count,  who  had  transferred  his  charges 
from  the  old  tower  to  the  strong  north  wing  of  the 
Castle,  had  been  fighting  desperately  in  the  front  rank 
for  some  time.  His  weakness  seemed  to  have  dis- 
appeared entirely.  As  the  foe  fell  back  in  the  face  of 
the   desperate  resistance.  Vos  Enf^o   sprang  down  the 


350  TRUXTON  KING 

steps  and  rushed  after  them,  calling  others  to  join  him 
in  the  attempt  to  complete  the  rout.  Near  the  edge  of 
the  terrace  he  stopped.  His  leg  gave  way  under  him 
and  he  fell  to  the  ground.     Truxton  saw  him  fall. 

He  leaped  over  the  low  balustrade,  dropping  his  hot 
rifle,  and  dashed  across  the  terrace  to  his  rival's  assist^ 
ance.  A  hundred  men  shot  at  him.  Vos  Engo  was 
trying  to  get  to  his  feet,  his  hand  upon  his  thigh ;  he 
was  groaning  with  pain. 

"It's  my  turn,"  shouted  the  American.  "I'll  square 
it  up  if  I  can.     Then  we're  even !" 

He  seized  the  wounded  man  in  his  strong  amis,  threw 
him  over  his  shoulder  and  staggered  toward  the  steps, 

"Release  me,  damn  you !"  shrieked  Vos  Engo,  striking 
his  rescuer  in  the  face  with  his  fist. 

"I'm  saving  you  for  another  day,"  said  King  as  he 
dropped  behind  the  balustrade,  with  his  burden  safe. 
A  wild  cheer  went  up  from  the  lips  of  the  defenders, 
scornful  howls  from  the  enemy. 

"I  pray  God  it  may  be  deferred  until  I  am  capable  of 
defending  myself,"  groaned  Vos  Engo,  glaring  at  the 
other  with  implacable  hatred  in  his  eyes. 

"You  might  pray  for  my  preservation,  too,  while 
you're  at  it,"  said  Truxton,  as  he  crept  away  to  regain 
his  rifle. 

There  were  other  witnesses  to  Truxton's  rash  act.  In 
a  lofty  window  of  the  north  wing  crouched  a  white- 
faced  girl  and  a  grim  old  man.  The  latter  held  a  rifle 
in  his  tense  though  feeble  hands.  They  had  been  there 
for  ten  minutes  or  longer,  watching  the  battle  from 
their  eerie  place  of  security.  Now  and  then  the  old 
man  would  sight  his  rifle  and  fire.  A  groan  of  anger 
and  dismay  escaped  his  lips  after  each  attempt  to  send 
his  bullet  to  the  spot  intended.     The  girl  who  crouched 


THE    LAST    STAND  351 

beside  him  was  there  to  designate  a  certain  figure  in  the 
ever-changing  mass  of  humanity  on  the  bloody  parade 
ground.  Her  clear  eyes  sought  for  and  found  Marlanx ; 
her  unwavering  finger  pointed  him  out  to  the  old  marks- 
man. 

She  saw  Vos  Engo  fall.  Then  a  tall,  well-known  figure 
sprang  into  view,  dashing  toward  her  wounded  lover. 
Her  heart  stopped  beating.  The  blood  rushed  to  her 
eves.  Everything  before  her  turned  red — a  horrid, 
blurring  red.  With  her  hands  to  her  temples,  she  leaned 
far  over  the  window  ledge  and  screamed — screamed 
words  that  would  have  filled  Truxton  King  with  an  end- 
less joy  could  he  have  heard  them  above  the  rattle  of 
the  rifles. 

"A  brave  act  1"  exclaimed  the  old  man  at  her  side. 
"Who  is  he?" 

But  she  did  not  hear  him.  She  had  fallen  back  and  was 
gasping  supphcation,  her  eyes  set  upon  the  old  man's 
face  with  a  stare  that  meant  nothing. 

The  corner  of  the  building  had  shut  out  the  picture; 
it  was  impossible  for  her  to  know  that  the  man  and  his 
burden  had  reached  the  balcony  in  safety.  Even  now, 
they  might  be  lying  on  the  terrace,  riddled  by  bullets. 
The  concentrated  aim  of  the  enemy  had  not  escaped 
her  horrified  gaze.     The  cheering  did  not  reach  her  ears. 

The  old  man  roused  her  from  the  stupor  of  dread.  He 
called  her  name  several  times  in  high,  strident  tones. 
Dully  she  responded.  Standing  bolt  upright  in  the 
window  she  sought  out  the  figure  of  INIarlanx,  and 
pointed  rigidly. 

"Ah,"  groaned  the  old  man,  "they  will  not  be  driven 
back  this  time !  They  will  not  be  denied.  It  is  the  last 
charge!  God,  how  they  come!  Our  men  will  be  an- 
nihilated in—  Where  is  he?    Now!     All,  I  see!    Yes, 


S52  TRUXTON  KING 

that  is  he!  He  is  near  enough  now.  I  cannot  miss 
him !" 

Marlanx  was  leading  his  men  up  to  the  terrace.  A 
howling  avalanche  of  humanity,  half  obscured  by 
smoke,  streamed  up  the  slope. 

At  the  top  of  the  terrace,  the  Iron  Count  suddenly 
stopped.  His  long  body  stiffened  and  then  crumpled 
like  a  reed.  A  score  of  heavy  feet  trampled  on  the 
fallen  leader,  but  he  did  not  feel  the  impact. 

A  bullet  from  the  north  wing  had  crashed  into  his 
brain. 

"At  last !"  shrieked  the  old  man  at  the  window.  "Come, 
Miss  Tullis;  my  work  is  done." 

"He  is  dead,  your  Grace  .^"  in  low,  awed  tones. 

"Yes,  my  dear,"  said  the  Duke  of  Perse,  a  smile  of 
relief  on  his  face.  "Come,  let  me  escort  you  to  the 
Prince.  You  have  been  most  courageous.  Graustark 
shall  not  forget  it.  Nor  shall  I  ever  cease  thanking 
you  for  the  service  you  have  rendered  to  me.  I  have 
succeeded  in  freeing  my  unhappy  daughter  from  the 
vile  beast  to  whom  I  sold  her  youth  and  beauty  and 
purity.     Come  !  You  must  not  look  upon  that  carnage  !" 

Together  they  left  the  little  room.  As  they  stepped 
into  the  narrow  hall  be^'ond  they  realised  that  the  de- 
fenders had  been  driven  inside  the  walls  of  the  Castle. 
The  crash  of  firearms  filled  the  halls  far  below ;  a 
deafening,  steady  roar  came  up  to  them. 

"It  is  all  over,"  said  the  Duke  of  Perse,  hobbling  across 
the  hall  and  throwing  open  the  door  to  a  room  opposite. 

A  group  of  terrified  women  were  huddled  in  the  far 
corner  of  the  spacious  room.  In  front  of  them  was  the 
little  Prince,  a  look  of  terror  in  his  eyes,  but  with  the 
tiny  sword  clutched  in  his  hand — a  pathetic  figure  of 
courage  and  dread  combined.     The  Duke  of  Perse  held 


THE    LAST    STAND  353 

open  the  door  for  Loraine  Tullis,  but  she  did  not  enter. 
When  he  turned  to  call,  she  was  half  way  down  the  top 
flight  of  stairs,  racing  through  the  powder  smoke  to- 
ward the  landing  below. 

At  every  step  she  was  screaming  in  the  very  agony  of 
gladness : 

"Stand  firm !  Hold  them !  Help  is  coming !  Help 
is  coming!" 

A  last  look  through  the  window  at  the  end  of  the  hall 
had  revealed  to  her  the  most  glorious  of  visions. 

Red  and  green  troops  were  pouring  through  the  dis- 
mantled gateway,  their  horses  surging  over  the  ugly 
ground-rifts  and  debris  as  if  possessed  of  the  fabled 
wings. 

She  had  seen  the  rear  line  in  the  storming  forces 
hesitate  and  then  turn  to  meet  the  whirlwind  charge 
of  the  cavalrymen.  Her  brother  was  out  there  and  all 
was  well.  She  was  crying  the  joyous  news  from  the 
head  of  the  grand  stairway  when  Truxton  King  caught 
sight  of  her. 

Smoke  writhed  about  her  slim,  inspiriting  figure.  Her 
face  shone  through  the  drab  fog  hke  an  undimmed  star 
of  purest  light.  He  bounded  up  the  steps  toward  her, 
drawn  as  by  magnet  against  which  there  was  no  such 
thing  as  resistance. 

He  was  powder-stained  and  grimy ;  there  was  blood 
on  his  face  and  shirt  front. 

"You  are  shot,"  she  cried,  clutching  the  post  at  the 
bend  in  the  stairs.     "Truxton!     Truxton!" 

"Not  even  scratched,"  he  shouted,  as  he  reached  her 
side.  "It's  not  my — "  He  stopped  short,  even  as  he 
held  out  his  arms  to  clasp  her  to  his  breast.  "It's  some 
one  else's  blood,"  he  finished  resolutely.  She  swayed 
toward  him  and  he  causht  her  in  his  arms. 


354<  TRUXTON   KING 

*'I  love  you — oh,  I  love  3^ou,  Truxton !"  she  cried  over 
and  over  again.  He  was  faint  with  joy.  His  kisses 
spoke  the  adoration  he  would  have  cried  out  to  her  if 
emotion  had  not  cloff^ed  his  throat. 

"Eric.^"  she  whispered  at  last,  drawing  back  in  his 
arms  and  looking  up  into  his  ej^es  with  a  great  pity  in 
her  own.     "Is  he — is  he  dead,  Truxton.^" 

"No,"  he  said  gently.     "Badly  hurt,  but " 

"Pie  will  not  die?  Thank  God,  Truxton.  He  is  a 
brave — oh,  a  very  brave  man."  Then  she  remembered 
her  mission  into  this  whirlpool  of  danger.  "Go !  Don't 
lose  a  moment,  darling!  Tell  Colonel  Quinnoi  that 
Jack  has  come!     The  dragoons  are " 

He  did  not  hear  the  end  of  her  cry.  A  quick,  fierce 
kiss  and  he  was  gone,  bounding  down  the  stairs  with 
great  shouts  of  encouragement. 

Leaderless,  between  the  deadly  fires,  the  mercenaries 
gave  up  the  fight  after  a  brief  stand  at  the  terrace. 
Six  hundred  horsemen  ploughed  through  them,  driving 
them  to  the  very  walls  of  the  Castle.  Here  they  broke 
and  scattered,  throwing  down  their  arms  and  shouting 
for  mercy.     It  was  all  over  inside  of  twenty  minutes. 

The  Prince  reigned  again. 

***** 

Nightfall  brought  complete  restoration  of  order, 
peace  and  security  in  the  city  of  Edelweiss.  Hundreds 
jf  lives  had  been  lost  in  the  terrific  conflict  of  the  early 
.•norning  hours ;  hundreds  of  men  lay  on  beds  of  suffer- 
ing, crushed  and  bleeding  from  the  wounds  they  had 
courted  and  received. 

"I  knowed  we'd  whip  them,"  shouted  the  Prince,  wrig- 
gling gleefully  in  John  Tullis's  straining  embrace  half 
an  hour  after  the  latter  had  ridden  througli  the  gate. 
Tears   streamed   down   tlie   big  man's  face.     One   arm 


THE    LAST    STAND  355 

held  the  bov~  the  other  encircled  the  sister  he  had  all 
but  lost.  In  the  Monastery  of  St.  Valentine  there  was 
another  woman,  waiting  for  him  to  come  to  her  with 
the  news  of  a  glorious  victory.  Perhaps  she  was  hoping 
and  praying  for  the  other  news  that  he  would  bring  her, 
who  knows?  If  he  came  to  her  with  kisses,  she  would 
know  without  being  told  in  so  many  words. 

Truxton  did  not  again  see  Loraine  until  late  in  the 
afternoon.  He  had  offered  his  services  to  Colonel 
Quinnox  and  had  worked  manfully  in  the  effort  to 
provide  comfort  for  the  wounded  of  both  sides.  General 
Braze  was  at  work  with  his  men  in  the  open  city,  clear- 
ing away  the  ugly  signs  of  battle.  The  fortress  and 
Tower  were  full  of  the  prisoners  of  war.  Baron 
Dangloss,  pale,  emaciated,  sick  but  resolute,  was  free 
once  more  and,  with  indomitable  zeal,  had  thrown  him- 
self and  his  liberated  men  at  once  into  the  work  of  re- 
habilitation. 

It  was  on  the  occasion  of  the  Baron's  first  visit  to  the 
Prince,  late  in  the  day,  that  Tmxton  saw  the  girl  he 
worshipped. 

Prince  Robin  had  sent  for  him  to  appear  in  the  dev- 
astated state  chamber.  PubHcly,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Court  and  Ministry,  the  little  ruler  proclaimed  him 
a  baron  and  presented  to  him  a  great  seal  ring  from 
among  the  ancient  crown  jewels. 

"Say,  Mr.  King,"  said  Bobby,  after  he  had  called  the 
American  quite  close  to  him  by  means  of  a  stealthy 
crooking  of  his  finger,  "would  you  mind  giving  me  my 
lucky  stone?  I  don't  think  you'll  need  it  any  longer. 
I  will,  I'm  sure.  You  see  a  prince  has  such  a  lot  of 
things  to  trouble  him.  Wars  and  murders  and  every- 
thing." 
'   "Thank  you,  Prince  Robing'  said  King,  placing  the 


356  TRUXTON   KING 

stone  in  the  little  hand.  "I  couldn't  have  got  on  with- 
out it.     'May  it  always  serve  you  as  well." 

"Noblesse  oblige.  Baron,"  said  Prince  Robin  gravely. 
"Hello!"  in  an  excited  whisper.  "Here's  Baron 
Dangloss.     He's  been  in  his  own  gaol !" 

Truxton  withdrew.  Near  the  door  he  met  Loraine. 
She  had  just  entered  the  room.  There  was  a  bright 
look  of  relief  in  her  eyes. 

"Count  Vos  Engo  has  asked  for  you,  Truxton,"  she 
said  in  a  low  voice.  A  delicate  flush  crept  into  her 
cheeks ;  a  sudden  shyness  leaped  into  her  eyes,  and  she 
looked  away. 

"Loraine,  have  you  told  him.^" 

"Yes.  I  am  so  sorry  for  him.  He  is  one  of  the 
bravest  men  I  have  ever  known,  Truxton  dear.  And, 
as  it  is  with  all  men  of  his  race,  love  knew  no  reason, 
no  compromise.  But  I  have  made  him  see  that  I — that  I 
cannot  be  his  wife.     He  knows  that  I  love  you." 

"Somehow,  darling,  I'm  sorry  for  him." 

"He  will  not  pretend  friendship  for  you,  dear,"  she 
went  on  painfully.  "He  only  wants  to  thank  you  and 
to  apologise,  as  you  did,  not  so  long  ago.  And  he 
wants  to  ask  you  to  release  him  from  a  certain  obliga- 
tion." 

"You  mean  our — cur  fight?" 

"Yes.  He  is  to  lose  his  right  arm,  Truxton.  You 
understand  how  it  is  with  him  now." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

'*YOU    WILL    BE    MRS.    KIXg" 

Late  that  night  it  was  reported  at  the  Castle  that  a 
large  force  of  men  were  encamped  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river.  A  hundred  camp-fires  were  gleaming 
against  the  distant  uplands. 

''The  Grand  Duke  Paulus !"  exclaimed  Count  Half ont. 
"Thank  God,  he  did  not  come  a  day  earher.  We  owe 
him  nothing  to-day — but  yesterday !  Ah,  he  could  have 
demanded  much  of  us.  Send  his  messengers  to  me, 
Colonel  Quinnox,  as  soon  as  they  arrive  in  the  morning. 
I  will  arise  early.  There  is  much  to  do  in  Graustark. 
Let  there  be  no  sluggards." 

A  mellow,  smiling  moon  crept  up  over  the  hills,  flood- 
ing the  land  with  a  serene  radiance.  Once  more  the 
windows  in  the  Castle  gleamed  brighth^ ;  low-voiced 
people  strolled  through  the  shattered  balconies ;  others 
wandered  about  the  vast  halls,  possessed  by  uncertain 
emotions,  torn  by  the  conflicting  hands  of  joy  and 
gloom.  In  a  score  of  rooms  wounded  men  were  lying ;  in 
others  there  were  dead  heroes.  At  the  barracks,  stand- 
ing dully  against  the  distant  shadows,  there  were  many 
cots  of  suffering.  And  yet  there  was  rejoicing,  even 
among  those  who  writhed  in  pain  or  bowed  their  heads 
in  grief.  Victory's  wings  were  fanning  the  gloom  away ; 
conquest  was  painting  an  ever-widening  streak  of 
brightness  across  the  dark,  drear  canvas  of  despair. 

In  one  of  the  wrecked  approaches  to  the  terrace, 
surrounded  by  fragments  of  stone  and  confronted  by 
ugly  destiniction,  sat  a  young  man  and  a  slender  girl. 
There  were  no  lights  near  them ;  the  shadows  were  black 


S58  TRUXTON  KING 

and  forbidding.  This  particular  end  of  the  terrace 
had  suffered  most  in  the  fierce  rain  of  cannon-balls. 
So  great  was  the  devastation  here  that  one  attained  the 
position  held  by  the  couple  only  by  means  of  no  little 
daring  and  at  the  risk  of  unkind  falls.  From  where 
they  sat  they  could  see  the  long  vista  of  lighted  window? 
and  yet  could  not  themselves  be  seen. 

His  arm  was  about  her;  her  head  nestled  securely 
against  his  shoulder  and  her  slim  hands  were  willing 
prisoners  in  one  of  his. 

She  was  saying  "Truxton,  dear,  I  did  not  love  Eric 
Yos  Engo.  I  just  thought  it  was  love.  I  never  really 
knew  what  love  is  until  you  came  into  my  hfe.  Then  I 
knew  the  difference.  That's  what  made  it  so  hard.  I 
had  let  him  believe  that  I  might  care  for  him  some  day. 
And  I  did  like  him.     So  I " 

"You  are  sure — terribly  sure — that  I  am  the  only  man 
you  ever  really  loved  .^"  he  interrupted. 

She  snuggled  closer.  "Haven't  I  just  told  you  that  I 
didn't  know  what  it  was  until — well,  until  now?" 

"Y"ou  will  never,  never  know  how  happy  I  am, 
Loraine!"  he  breathed  into  her  ear. 

"I  hope  I  shall  always  bring  happiness  to  you,  Trux- 
ton,"  she  murmured,  faint  with  the  joy  of  loving. 

"You  will  make  me  very  unhappy  if  you  don't  marry 
me  to-morrow." 

"I  couldn't  think  of  it!" 

"I  don't  ask  you  to  think.  If  you  do,  you  may 
change  your  mind  completely.  Just  marry  me  without 
thinking,  dearest." 

"I  will  marry  you,  Truxton,  when  we  get  to  New 
York,"  she  said,  but  not  very  firmly.  He  saw  his  ad- 
vantage. 

"But,  my  dear,  I'm  tired  of  travelling." 


"YOU  WILL  BE   MRS.  KING"  359 

It  was  rather  enigmatic.     "What  has  that  to  do  with 
it.'*"  she  asked. 

"Well,  it's  this  way:  if  we  get  married  in  New  York 
we'll  have  to  consider  an  extended  and  wholly  obligatory 
wedding  journey.  If  we  get  married  here,  we  can  save 
^all  that  bother  by  bridal-tripping  to  New  York,  instead 
of  away  from  it.  And,  what's  more,  we'll  escape  the 
rice-throwing  and  the  old  shoes  and  the  hand-painted 
trunk  labels.  Greater  still:  we  will  avoid  a  long  and 
lonely  trip  across  the  ocean  on  separate  steamers.  That's 
something,  you  know." 

"We  could  GO  on  the  same  steamer." 

"Quite  so,  my  dear.  But  don't  you  think  it  would  be 
nicer  if  we  went  as  one  instead  of  two.''" 

"I  suppose  it  would  be  cheaper." 

"They  say  a  fellow  saves  money  by  getting  married." 

"I  hate  a  man  who  is  always  trying  to  save  money." 

"Well,  if  you  put  it  that  way,  I'll  promise  never  to 
save  a  cent.     I'm  a  horrible  spendthrift." 

"Oh,  you'll  have  to  save,  Truxton !" 

"How  silly  we  are!"  he  cried  in  utter  joyousness.  He 
held  her  close  for  a  long  time,  his  face  buried  in  her 
hair.  "Listen,  darling:  won't  you  say  you'll  be  my 
wife  before  I  leave  Graustark?  I  want  you  so  much. 
I  can't  go  away  without  you." 

She  hesitated.     "When  are  you  going,  Truxton?    You 

^— you  haven't  told  me." 

It  was  what  he  wanted.  "I  am  going  next  Monday,'^ 
he  said  promptly.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  forgot- 
ten the  day  of  the  week  they  were  now  hving  in. 

"Monday?     Oh,  dear!" 

"Will  you?" 

"I — I  must  cable  home  first,"  she  faltered. 

"That's  a  mere  detail,  darling.     Cable  afterward.     It 


S60  TRUXTON  KING 

will  beat  us  home  by  three  weeks.     They'll  know  we're 
coming." 

"I  must  ask  John,  really  I  must,  Truxton,"  she  pro- 
tested faintly. 

"Hurray !"  he  shouted — in  a  whisper.  "He  is  so 
desperately  in  love,  he  won't  think  of  refusing  anything 
we  ask.     Shall  we  set  it  for  Saturday?" 

They  set  it  for  Saturday  without  consulting  John 
Tullis,  and  then  fell  to  discussing  him.  "He  is  very 
much  in  love  with  her,"  she  said  wistfully. 

"And  she  loves  him,  Loraine.  They  will  be  ver}^  happy. 
She's  wonderful." 

"Well,  so  is  John.  He's  the  most  wonderful  man  in 
aU  this  world." 

"I  am  sure  of  it,"  he  agreed  magnanimously.  "I  saw 
him  talking  with  her  and  the  Duke  of  Perse  as  I  came 
out  awhile  ago.  They  were  going  to  the  Duke's  rooms 
up  there.  The  Duke  will  offer  no  objections.  I  think 
he'll  permit  his  daughter  to  select  his  next  son-in-law." 

"How  could  he  have  given  her  to  that  terrible,  terrible 
old  man.'"'  she  cried,  with  a  shudder. 

"She  won't  be  in  mourning  for  him  long,  I  fancy. 
Nobody  will  talk  of  appearances,  either.  She  could 
marry  Jack  to-morrow  and  no  one  would  criticise  her." 

"Oh,  that  would  be  disgusting,  Truxton !" 

"But,  my  dear,  he  isn't  to  have  a  funeral,  so  why  not? 
They  buried  his  bod}"  In  quicklime  this  afternoon.  No 
mourners,  no  friends,  no  tears !  Hang  it  all,  she's 
foolish  if  she  puts  on  anything  but  red." 

"They  can't  be  married  for — oh,  ever  so  long,"  she 
said  very  primly. 

"No,  indeed,"  he  said  with  alacrity.  But  he  did  not 
believe  what  he  said.  If  he  knew  anything  about  John 
Tullis,   it  would  not  be  "ever   so  long"  before  Prince 


"YOU  WILL  BE   MRS.  KING"  361 

Robin's  friend  turned  Benedict  and  husband  to  the  most 
noted  beauty  in  all  Graustark. 

"I  shall  be  sorry  to  leave  Graustark,"  she  said  dream- 
ily, after  a  long  period  of  silent  retrospection.  "I've 
had  the  happiest  year  of  my  life  here." 

"I've  had  the  busiest  month  of  my  life  here.  I'll  never 
again  say  that  the  world  is  a  dull  place.  And  I'll 
never  advise  any  man  to  go  out  of  his  own  home  city 
in  search  of  the  most  adorable  woman  in  the  world.  She's 
always  there,  bless  her  heart,  if  he'll  only  look  around 
a  bit  for  her." 

"But  you  wouldn't  have  found  me  if  you  hadn't  come 
to  Graustark." 

"I  shudder  when  I  think  of  what  might  have  happened 
to  you,  my  Princess  Sweetheart,  if  I  hadn't  come  to 
Edelweiss.  No  ;  I  would  not  have  found  you."  Feeling 
her  tremble  in  his  arms,  he  went  on  with  whimsical  good 
humour:  "You  would  have  been  eaten  up  by  the  ogre 
long  before  this.  Or,  perhaps,  you  would  have  suc- 
ceeded in  becoming  a  countess." 

"As  it  is,  I  shall  be  a  baroness." 

"In  Graustark,  but  not  in  New  York.     That  reminds 

me.      You'll   be   more   than    a   baroness — more   than    a 

princess.     You  will  be  a  queen.     Don't  you  catch  the 

point?     You  will  be  Mrs.  King." 

«  *  *  *  * 

The  Grand  Duke  Paulus  was  distinctly  annoyed.  He 
had  travelled  many  miles,  endured  quite  a  number  of 
hardships,  and  all  to  no  purpose.  "WTien  dawn  came, 
his  emissaries  returned  from  the  city  with  the  lamen- 
table information  that  the  government  had  righted  it- 
self, that  Marlanx's  sensational  revolution  was  at  an 
end,  and  that  the  regents  would  be  highly  honoured  if 
his  Excellency  could  overlook  the  distressingly  chaotic 


'YOC  irilX  EE  URS.  KING" 


364  TRUXTON  KING 

forgot  yesterday's  battle  in  the  face  of  this  most  im- 
posing calamity.  More  than  that,  he  was  in  no  frame 
of  mind  to  enjoy  the  excitement  attending  the  rehabili- 
tation of  the  Castle;  oppressed  by  the  approaching 
shadow  of  the  great  man,  he  lost  all  interest  in  what  was 
going  on  in  the  Castle,  about  the  grounds  and  among 
his  courtiers. 

"What'll  I  do,  Uncle  Jack,  if  he  asks  any  questions?" 
he  mourned.  They  were  dressing  him  in  the  robes  of 
state. 

"Answer  'em,"  said  his  best  friend. 

"But   supposin'   I   can't.?      Then   what.?" 

"He  won't  ask  questions,  Bobby.  People  never 
do  when  a  potentate  is  on  his  throne.  It's  shockingly 
bad  form." 

"I  hope  he  won't  stay  long,"  prayed  Bobby,  a  grave 
pucker  between  his  brows.  He  was  a  very  tired  little 
boy.  His  eyes  were  heavy  with  sleep  and  his  lips  were 
not  ver3^  firm. 

"Count  Half ont  will  look  after  him,  Bobby ;  so  don't 
worry.  Just  sit  up  there  on  the  throne  and  look  wise. 
The  regents  will  do  the  rest.  Watch  your  Uncle  Caspar. 
When  he  gives  the  signal,  you  arise.  That  ends  the 
audience.     You  walk  out " 

"I  know  all  about  that.  Uncle  Jack.  But  I  bet  I  do 
something  wrong.  This  thing  of  receiving  grand 
dukes  is  no  joke.  'Specially  when  we're  so  terribly  up- 
set. Really,  I  ought  to  be  looking  after  the  men  who 
are  wounded,  attending  to  tlie  funerals  of " 

"Now,  Bobby,  don't  flunk  like  that !    Be  a  man  !" 

Bobby  promptly  squared  his  little  shoulders  and  set 
his  jaw.  "Oh,  I'm  not  scared!"  He  was  thoughtful 
for  a  moment.  "But,  I'll  tell  you,  it's  awful  lonesome 
up  in  that  big  chair,  so  far  away  from  all  j'oiir  friends. 


"YOU  WILL  BE   MRS.  KING"  365 

I  wish  Uncle  Caspar  would  let  me  sit  down  with  the 
crowd." 

The  Grand  Duke,  with  all  the  arrogance  of  a  real 
personage,  was  late.  It  was  not  for  him  to  consider  the 
conditions  that  distressed  the  Court  of  Graustark.  Not 
at  all.  He  was  a  grand  duke  and  he  would  take  his 
own  time  in  paying  his  respects.  What  cared  he  that 
every  one  in  the  Castle  was  tired  and  unstrung  and  sad 
and — sleepy?  Any  one  but  a  grand  duke  would  have 
waited  a  day  or  two  before  requiring  a  royal  audience. 
When  he  finally  presented  himself  at  the  Castle  doors, 
a  sleepy  group  of  attendants  actually  yawned  in  his 
presence. 

A  somnolent  atmosphere,  still  touched  by  the  smell  of 
gunpowder,  greeted  him  as  he  strode  majestically  down 
the  halls.  Somehow  each  person  who  bowed  to  him 
seemed  to  do  it  with  the  melancholy  precision  of  one 
who  has  been  up  for  six  nights  in  succession  and  doesn't 
care  who  knows  it. 

No  one  had  slept  during  the  night  just  passed.  Ex- 
citement and  the  suffering  of  others  had  denied  slumber 
to  one  and  all — even  to  those  who  had  not  slept  for 
many  days  and  nights.  Now  the  reaction  was  upon 
them.     Relaxation  had  succeeded  tenseness. 

When  the  Grand  Duke  entered  the  great,  sombre 
throne  room,  he  was  confronted  by  a  punctiliously 
polite  assemblage,  but  every  eyelid  was  as  heavy  as  lead 
and  as  prone  to  sink.  ^ 

The  Prince  sat  far  back  in  the  great  chair  of  his 
ancestors,  his  sturdy  legs  sticking  straight  out  in  front 
of  him,  utterly  lost  in  the  depths  of  gold  and  royal 
velvet.  Two-score  or  more  of  his  courtiers  and  as 
many  noble  ladies  of  the  realm  stood  soberly  in  the 
places  assigned  them  bv  the  laws  of  precedence.     The 


366  TRUXTOX  KIXG 

Grand  Duke  advanced  between  the  respectful  lines  and 
knelt  at  the  foot  of  the  throne. 

"Arise,  your  Highness,"  piped  Bobb}^,  with  a  quick 
glance  at  Count  Halfont.  It  was  a  very  faint,  faraway 
voice  that  uttered  the  gracious  command.  "Graustark 
welcomes  the  Grand  Duke  Paulus.  It  is  m}^  pleasure  to 
— to — to — "  a  helpless  look  came  into  his  eyes.  He 
looked  everywhere  for  support.  The  Grand  Duke  saw 
that  he  had  forgotten  the  rehearsed  speech,  and  smiled 
benignly  as  he  stepped  forward  and  kissed  the  hand  that 
had  been  extended  somewhat  uncertainly. 

*'My  most  respectful  homage  to  your  Majesty.  The 
felicitations  of  my  emperor  and  the  warmest  protesta- 
tions of  friendship  from  his  people." 

With  this  as  a  prologue,  he  engaged  himself  in  the 
ever-pleasurable  task  of  delivering  a  long,  congratula- 
tory- address.  If  there  was  one  thing  above  another  that 
the  Grand  Duke  enjoyed,  it  was  the  making  of  a  speech. 
He  prided  himself  on  his  prowess  as  an  orator  and  as  an 
after-dinner  speaker;  but,  more  than  either  of  these, 
he  gloried  in  his  ability  to  soar  extemporaneoush\ 

For  ten  minutes  he  addressed  himself  to  the  throne, 
benignly,  comfortably.  Then  he  condescended  to  de- 
vote a  share  of  his  precious  store  to  the  courtiers  behind 
him.  If  he  caught  more  than  one  of  them  yawning 
■when  he  turned  in  their  direction,  he  did  not  permit 
it  to  disturb  him  in  the  least.  His  eyes  may  have  nar- 
rowed a  bit,  but  that  was  all. 

After  five  minutes  of  high-sounding  platitudes,  he 
again  turned  to  the  Prince.  It  was  then  that  he  re- 
ceived his  first  shock. 

Prince  Robin  was  sound  asleep.  His  head  was  slipping 
Bidc-wise  along  the  satiny  back  of  the  big  chair,  and 
his  chin  was  very  low  in  the  laces  at  liis  neck.      The 


Copyright,  1909,  by  Dodd,  Mead  i 


"  *  HIS    MAJESTY    APPEARS    TO    HAVE— AHEM — GONE    TO    SLEEP/ 
REMARKED   THE  GRAND   DUKE   TARTLY  ' ' 


"YOU  WILL  BE   MRS.  KING"  367 

Grand  Duke  coughed  emphatically,  cleared  his  throat, 
and  grew  very  red  in  the  face. 

The  Court  of  Graustark  was  distinctly  dismayed. 
Here  was  shocking  state  of  affairs.  The  prince 
going  to  sleep  while  a  grand  duke  talked ! 

'•His  Majesty  appears  to  have — ahem — gone  to  sleep," 
remarked  the  Grand  Duke  tartly,  interrupting  himself 
to  address  the  Prime  Minister. 

"He  is  very  tired,  your  Excellency,"  said  Count 
Halfont,  very  much  distressed.  "Pray  consider  what 
he  has  been  through  during  the " 

"Ah,  my  dear  Count,  do  not  apologise  for  him.  I 
quite  understand.  Ahem!  Alieml"  Still  he  was  very 
red  in  the  face.  Some  one  had  laughed  softly  behind 
his  back. 

"I  will  awaken  him,  your  Excellency,"  said  the  Prime 
Minister,  edging  toward  the  throne. 

"Not  at  all,  sir!"  protested  the  visitor.  "Permit  him 
to  have  his  sleep  out,  sir.  I  will  not  have  him  disturbed. 
\Mio  am  I  that  I  should  defeat  the  claims  of  nature  ?  It 
is  my  pleasure  to  wait  until  his  Majesty's  nap  is  over. 
Then  he  may  dismiss  us,  but  not  until  we  have  cried: 
"Long  live  the  Prince!" 

For  awhile  they  stood  in  awkward  silence,  this  notable 
gathering  of  men  and  women.  Then  the  Prime  Minister, 
in  hushed  tones,  suggested  that  it  would  be  eminently 
proper,  under  the  circumstances,  for  all  present  to  be 
seated.  He  was  under  the  impression  that  His  Serene 
Highness  would  sleep  long  and  soundly. 

Stiff-backed  and  uncomfortable,  the  Court  sat  and 
waited.  No  one  pretended  to  conceal  the  blissful  yawns 
that  would  not  be  denied.  A  drowsy,  ineffably  languid 
feeling  took  possession  of  the  entire  assemblage.  Here 
and  there  a  noble  head  nodded  sli^rhtly ;  eyehds  fell  in 


868  TRUXTON  KING 

the  silent  war  against  the  god  of  slumber,  only  to 
revive  again  with  painful  energy  and  ever-weakening 
courage. 

The  Prime  Minister  sat  at  the  foot  of  the  throne  and 
nodded  in  spite  of  himself.  The  Minister  of  the 
Treasury  was  breathing  so  heavily  that  his  neighbor 
nudged  him  just  in  time  to  prevent  something  even  more 
humiliating.  John  Tullis,  far  back  near  the  wall,  had 
his  lit  ad  on  his  hand,  bravely  fighting  off  the  persistent 
demon.  Prince  Dantan  of  Dawsbergen  was  sound 
asleep. 

The  Grand  Duke  was  wide  awake.  He  saw  it  all  and 
was  equal  to  the  occasion.  After  all,  he  was  a  kindly 
old  gentleman,  and,  once  his  moment  of  mortification 
was  over,  he  was  not  above  charity. 

Bobby's  poor  little  head  had  slipped  over  to  a  most 
uncomfortable  position  against  the  arm  of  the  chair. 
Putting  his  finger  to  his  lips,  the  Grand  Duke  tiptoed 
carefully  up  to  the  throne.  With  very  gentle  hands  he 
lifted  Bobby's  head,  and,  infinitely  tender,  stuffed  a 
throne  cushion  behind  the  curly  head.  Still  with  his 
finger  to  his  lips,  a  splendid  smile  in  his  e^^es,  he  tip- 
toed back  to  his  chair. 

As  he  passed  Count  Halfont,  w^ho  had  risen,  he 
whispered: 

"Dear  little  man!  I  do  not  forget,  my  lord,  that  I 
j^as  once  a  boy.     God  bless  him !" 

Then  he  sat  down,  conscious  of  a  fine  feeling  of  good- 
ness, folded  his  arms  across  his  expansive  chest,  and 
allowed  his  beaming  ej'cs  to  rest  upon  the  sleeping  boy 
far  back  in  the  chair  of  state.  Incidentally,  he  decided 
to  delay  a  few  days  before  taking  up  the  bond  question 
with  the  ministry.  The  Grand  Duke  was  not  an  ordinary 
diplomat. 


"YOU  WILL  BE   MRS.  KING"  869 

In  one  of  the  curtained  windows,  far  removed  from  the 
throne,  >at  Truxton  King  and  Loraine  TulHs. 

All  about  them  people  were  watching  the  delicate  little 
scene,  smiling  di'owsily  at  the  Grand  Duke's  tender 
comedy.  No  one  was  looking  at  the  two  in  the  curtained 
recess.  Her  hand  was  in  his,  her  head  sank  slowly 
toward  his  inviting  shoulder;  her  heavy  lids  drooped 
lower  and  lower,  refusing  to  obey  the  slender  will  that 
argued  against  complete  surrender.  At  last  her  soft, 
regular  breathing  told  him  that  she  was  asleep.  Await- 
ing liis  opportunity,  he  tenderly  kissed  the  soft,  brown 
hair,  murmured  a  gentle  word  of  love,  and  settled  his 
own  head  against  the  thick  cushions. 

Everywhere  they  dozed  and  nodded.  The  Grand  Duke 
smiled  and  blinked  his  little  eyes.  He  was  very  wide 
awake. 

That  is  how  he  happened  to  see  the  Prince  move  rest- 
lessly and  half  open  his  sleep-bound  eyes.  The  Grand 
Duke  leaned  forward  with  his  hand  to  his  ear,  and 
listened.  He  had  seen  the  boy's  lips  move.  From 
dreamland  came  Bobby's  belated; 

"Good-ni — ight." 

THE  END 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stami>ed  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


22Sep'oSLW 

$Fp  1^.  iKQ 

5Jul'59u.3       j                                ! 

REC'D  LD  ' 

JUN27JS59 

iJtP    61974  11 

i 

1 
1 
1 

General  Library 
LD  21A-507>v8,'57                                Universit>-  of  California 
(C8481sl0)476B                                                 Berkeley 

T  yu. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


^^^H 

^^^H 

mH 

^^M 

■^ 

i 

V 

^^^HL 

k. 

